Click here to book your complimentary introductory phone call today!
As you near your late 40s and early 50s, your periods may become irregular as your menstrual cycle begins to subside. A woman is said to be in menopause when she has 12 consecutive months without any menstrual bleeding. Though it’s completely natural and a normal part of the aging process, the symptoms can be very bothersome and include:
Unfortunately, many women deal with off-and-on periods and frustrating symptoms for about a decade or longer until the menopausal transition is complete.
At The Well for Health, our dedicated nurse practitioner, Diane Parks, NP, and the rest of our team here in Davidson, North Carolina are passionate about women’s health care and have many years of experience helping women navigate through menopause. In this blog, we suggest a few tried-and-true lifestyle changes that can help improve your troubling symptoms.
During menopause, it’s important to choose foods that are high in Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and phytoestrogens. We pair you with a nutritionist who considers your health history and symptoms to customize a diet that helps you meet your body’s unique needs during menopause.
Not only can regular exercise help you lose any weight that you may have gained as your hormones fluctuate, it also helps decrease stress, and reduce the severity of hot flashes. Exercises such as walking, jogging, yoga, hiking, and swimming also help maintain bone density, improve sleep patterns, and enhance cognitive functioning. A bonus of exercise is that it triggers the release of endorphins, which boosts your mood and makes you feel good for hours.
While you may feel temporary relief from stress when you smoke or have a drink, it exacerbates your hot flashes and jeopardizes your overall health. If you need help with smoking cessation or cutting back on your alcohol intake, talk to your provider.
In addition to these lifestyle modifications, many of our patients get great relief from their menopausal symptoms with hormone balancing and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. We customize your treatment so that your replacement hormones exactly match the ones your body makes naturally. We also provide vaginal laser therapy if menopause is making it difficult for you to be intimate with your partner due to pain or dryness.
Menopause doesn’t have to be a struggle. Our team stands ready to help you implement lifestyle changes to minimize your symptoms and improve your quality of life. To learn more, call now or request an appointment online.
