Conditions

Menopause Treatment

Menopause is when a women stops having her monthly periods. If you aren't sure about what "stage of life" you are at, our doctors can help, and more importantly help with your management of your symptoms of Menopause.

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Menopause

Overview

Menopause is defined as the last menstrual period that a woman will have which is confirmed after 12 consecutive months of no periods. Most women become menopausal naturally around the age of 45-55, with the average age being 51.

It occurs when the ovaries eventually cause you to stop ovulating which then leads to a drop in estrogen production.

Jump to:

Stages of Menopause
What is Perimenopause
What is Early or Premature Menopause?
Symptoms of Menopause
Management of Menopause
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Stages of Menopause

Menopause is often considered in stages

What is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause usually starts in a women's 40s and on average lasts 4-6 years. During perimenopause, our estrogen levels can swing from hight to low as our ovaries run out of eggs.

It's that transition phase of your life and can often be the most symptomatic time for a woman!

The onset of perimenopause is not usually diagnosed by checking your hormone levels with a blood test. They are not helpful as your hormone levels change, day to day and cycle to cycle. You can be diagnosed though on the basis of new onset of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats and a change in the pattern of your menstrual bleeding.

With Nurture Gynaecology, our North Brisbane patients (as well as those throughout Queensland), can be assured that they are in a warm, welcoming and safe environment to share all their health concerns, regardless of their age or where they’re at in life.

To find out more about the services we offer or to book a gynaecologist appointment, contact us today for a confidential discussion.

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What is Early or Premature Menopause?

Menopause can happen naturally or at the usual expected age, or for some women it will happen early. Periods can stop unexpectedly due to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) in which the ovaries stop working due to a number of causes.

Menopause is considered early when it occurs between the age of 40 - 45 years of age, but "Premature" menopause is defined by the cessation of your periods less than 40 years of age. This can occur without cause, or can be due to surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

If either 'Premature' or 'Early Menopause' occurs it must be investigated and a referral from your GP to a Gynaecologist such as Dr Brooke O'Brien, is important for counselling and treatment as it can have health consequences for fertility and increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Symptoms of Menopause

The main symptoms of menopause are:

Changes in your menstrual cycle
Cognition and mood changes, such as feeling low or irritable
Vasomotor Symptoms - hot flushes and night sweats
Bladder, vaginal or vulval symptoms
Many women experience a lot of other symptoms and it's important to know that you can get help with these

Management of Menopause?

Whilst some women have minimal symptoms, at least 60% of women experience mild to moderate symptoms, and 20% have symptoms that are so severe they interfere with daily life.

Menopause can be managed and there are a number of lifestyle changes and medical options that are available to you. All of which are safe and effective! Our doctors believe that management of your menopause symptoms should be holistic and individualised for each woman.

The most common form of treatment called Menopausal Replacement Therapy (MHT), formally known as Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) is used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia and vaginal dryness and improve your quality of life. The benefits of MHT far outweigh the risks in healthy women within the first 10 years of menopause, or between 50-60 years of age.

Some of the benefits of MHT can include improvement in quality of life and relief of;

Hot flushes and sleep
Vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse, bladder incontinence and pain
Sleep disturbance with night sweatsMenopause Replacement Therapy is associated with several health benefits including decreased risk of;
Osteoporosis
Heart Disease
Bone Fracture
Endometrial Cancer
Colorectal Cancer - If menopause is causing you distressing symptoms, or you just want to discuss all your options then please do not hesitate to call us and we can arrange an appointment.

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At Nurture Gynaecology, our team value honesty, compassion and making our patients feel as at home as possible when they come to see us at the clinic. If this is something you also value, we invite you to book a consultation at our clinic today to find out how we can help you.

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