Menopause Care from Philadelphia Gynecologists - Aria Health a Philly Hospital

Menopause & Perimenopause

Guidance, Management, and Care For
Change-of-Life-related Issues

When a woman feels her body begin to change at midlife, she wants to understand what’s happening and take the right steps to remain as healthy as possible. Many women in their mid-40s and beyond have questions about change-of-life. The staff at our Center for Gynecology & Women's Health is thoroughly experienced with counseling and caring for women experiencing menopause or perimenopause.

These care providers can explain typical ages for onset and duration of menopause, and what to expect in terms of physical symptoms and changes, as well as psychological effects. They can outline the options in any possible care that might be needed, including the considerations involved in hormone replacement therapy. The center's staff can also evaluate any abnormal postmenopausal symptoms, such as postmenopausal bleeding (including through such tests as hysteroscopy.)

What about HRT?

Many women understandably have questions and concerns about hormone replacement therapy. The staff at Aria's center is practiced at reviewing the advantages and risks of this treatment with patients. Individualizing care is very important in this area, and Aria's care providers consider each woman’s symptoms and needs before recommending any treatments.

The center's physicians and nurse practitioners will discuss lifestyle adjustments that become even more important for a woman at this stage of life. They can also direct interested patients to alternative or complimentary-medicine approaches, including herbal care that can be helpful.

Because women are living longer today, they are also spending a larger portion of their lives in the postmenopausal stage. This has important implications for health. Our center can helps women understand risk factors, and provides necessary assessments, screening, and other care, so that patients are proactive in their health during this period. These knowledgeable clinicians can review the normal physical changes during menopause and ways to address, this natural stage of life.

These women's health experts are skilled at determining what, if any, hormonal-related changes or problems a woman may be experiencing. Their gentle, understanding, knowledgeable approach helps patients address menopausal related issues.

Perimenopausal syndrome

In their 40s and 50s, as women approach menopause, they may experience more significant physical or emotional changes related to their menstrual cycle or to other hormonal shifts (including at times that may seem unrelated to the natural monthly rhythm). This is because during this period of life, hormonal levels may fluctuate more widely, primarily due to the declining function of the ovaries and decreasing amounts of estrogen produced by the body.

Perimenopause denotes the time around or approximately around menopause, in other words the months or years before and after this change of life. Perimenopausal syndrome refers to the symptoms that many women experience during this period.

During this phase of normal hormonal transitional, some women experience mild or moderate, early or isolated symptoms of menopause. These affects are present to at least some extent for almost all women, but some may experience them more profoundly.   Women during this period of life may also, or otherwise, experience PMS or PMS-like changes, exhibiting more marked changes related to the menstrual cycle or other hormonal fluctuations. In addition, women who have previously experienced PMS, may experience it more severely during this time.

Perimenopausal syndrome may vary in duration anywhere from a few months to 10 years. This exacerbation of hormonal-related symptoms during the period approaching and sometimes subsequent to menopause can be a significant factor for some women. The approach to evaluating and caring for perimenopausal syndrome is similar to that for PMS, menopause, and other menstrual-related conditions. The staff at Aria's center can assist in identifying the pattern of response that a woman may be experiencing to hormonal changes and offer care that can often mitigate accompanying symptoms.