Menopause

What causes menopause?

Menopause is not a disease — it’s a natural process. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. A woman may start with 1 to 3 million eggs, but they expire over time. At menopause, women may have only 10,000 remaining, and these eggs may not be as healthy as they once were. Meanwhile, as the ovaries age, they produce less estrogen and progesterone—the two key hormones that regulate the female reproductive system
This natural decline in hormone production signals an end to fertility that can affect overall health.

Estrogen affects many parts of the body besides the uterus, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, urinary system, skin, and brain. Healthy estrogen levels keep the organs and systems functioning at their best, so its decline is at the root of many menopause symptoms. During menopause, the ovaries also decrease their production of testosterone — a hormone involved with sex drive, and the most abundantly active hormone in the female body.

How is menopause diagnosed?

A medical provider will likely be able to diagnose menopause from the symptoms. While there are blood tests to measure hormone levels, they can often be inconclusive because hormone levels can fluctuate widely during this time.

The first step in diagnosing menopause is to have a discussion with a healthcare provider. A woman who has gone a full year without a period is typically considered to have gone through menopause. For many women, testing isn’t necessary. A blood test is available that measures levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) — a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that is a key player in preparing the body for pregnancy. However, this test can be misleading, especially early in menopause when hormone levels might still be rising and falling irregularly.

Therapies

Many women find that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause is an ideal way to get relief from life-disrupting symptoms. Additionally, there are potential long-term protective health benefits from HRT that include supporting bone health, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function for many years after menopause (postmenopause).

Commonly prescribed hormone replacement therapies for menopause are different forms of estrogen: estradiol, estriol, or biest, which is a combination of estradiol and estriol. Progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA may also be recommended based on individual menopausal symptoms.

Belmar Pharmacy compounds bioidentical hormones in a variety of dosage forms, strengths and combinations to help women feel more like themselves again. Bioidentical hormones are chemically and molecularly identical to the hormones the body makes naturally, making them readily available for the body to absorb and use.

Available dosage forms of Belmar’s bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) include injectable pellets, oral and sublingual tablets, capsules, injectables, vaginal suppositories, and topical creams. Belmar also compounds medications designed to target specific issues many women face during menopause, including hair loss, dry skin, vaginal dryness, and low sex drive.