Menopause and post-menopause can be a challenging journey. With the right kind of self care, health care and support, yours can be a seamless transition. After all, this is a time in life when you may be coming into your own in your career and personal life – finding new pathways to self-expression and more – and you’re not about to let a few hot flashes slow you down much.
As women age and approach this new season, we’ve worked to help them navigate the changes through The Women’s Health and Wellness Center at Premier. We understand there are important concerns and questions and are prepared to help you get your answers.
What is menopause?
Menopause represents a specific time in a woman’s life, usually in her 40s or 50s when she stops having a menstrual cycle. A woman’s body undergoes major changes as hormonal levels shift and her ovaries produce less estrogen.
Like childbirth, the experience is unique for each woman, but there are similar signs women can look out for. In the case of menopause, there are two distinct experiences: those during perimenopause and those after menopause.
Perimenopause – the period leading up to your last period – women often encounter hormonal fluctuations and may miss periods on occasion. They may also have hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.
After missing your period for 12 consecutive months, menopause is said to have occurred. The symptoms during menopause may include mood issues, hot flashes, insomnia or problems sleeping, vaginal dryness, reduced interest in sex or difficulty maintaining arousal.
Post-menopausal changes and sexuality
According to the North American Menopause Society, declining estrogen levels are apt to decrease vaginal lubrication and cause changes to your vagina and vulva, or external genitalia. Your vaginal pH will increase, becoming less acidic. The skin and tissues will become thinner and less flexible, a condition called “vulvovaginal atrophy”.
To avoid discomfort during vaginal penetration, use lube, relax, and communicate. These issues can be hard to talk about with your partner or even your healthcare provider, but here too, communication is key which opens the door to a happier or healthier future. Many of the gynecological and related issues of menopause and post-menopause respond well to treatment.
There is help – Choosing a healthcare provider who understands your needs
Gynecological care is crucial to your wellness during and after menopause, and the team of seasoned healthcare professionals at The Women’s Health & Wellness Center at Premier is ready to help you with all of your menopausal concerns. We offer personalized, patient-centered care, which includes preventive screenings and symptom management, and in cases where surgery is recommended, our team provides access to some of the least invasive treatment.
As the Hudson Valley’ Premier Center for Gynecological & Urological Health, we can help you with:
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Urinary incontinence
- Sexual health issues
- Prevention and screening
- Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
- Preventive screenings for gynecological cancer
Our team of specialists are also trained in providing treatments that include the following:
- Low-dose estrogen therapy
- Anti-depressant therapies without sexual side effects
- Diet, exercise and self-care planning
- Gynecologic surgery
- Vaginal Laser Rejuvenation
Vaginal Laser Rejuvenation – Yes, It’s Possible
NeuViva (™) is a revolutionary treatment for the aging vagina that’s effective, simple and discreet. With fractional CO2 laser technology, Neuviva treatments can relieve a host of menopausal and post-menopausal concerns: itching, dryness, pain during intercourse and urinary stress incontinence.
The procedure is quick, safe, and requires no recovery time. According to Dr. Daniel Katz, director of Premier Women’s Center, the basic principle is simple: skin is skin, and just as dermatological facial laser treatments can rejuvenate facial skin, Fractional CO2 laser technology resurfaces the vaginal epithelium, restoring healthy collagen and revitalizing the moisture, plumpness, buoyancy and lubrication of your precious inner skin.
NeuViva (™) is administered via a series of three five-minute treatment’s in your doctor’s office, with a follow-up one year later. Results are often felt in just a few weeks, and the effects are long-lasting.
The Big Picture
No matter what stage of life you or a loved one is facing, Premier has your gynecological health covered. For women who are still in their reproductive years, we offer state-of-the-art Family Planning and Fertility services. We handle preventive screening for women of every age, treat gynecological cancer, and perform gynecological surgery when required, helping you find the least invasive treatments that will be effective.
It’s important to remember that your gynecological health is influenced by your overall health; eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in greens and whole grains. Get up and move around.
Physical change, especially when the changes impact the most intimate and sensitive parts of our bodies, can be scary and depressing. Take a deep breath. Get educated. Talk to your doctor and don’t be afraid to rely on the vital support your healthcare provider can offer you. Recognize that the changes you’re going through are the pathway to what can be one of the most empowered and fulfilling periods of a woman’s life.
The multidisciplinary team at The Women’s Health & Wellness Center at Premier will help you handle your menopausal and post-menopausal issues with ease, and get you back on track to improved health while aging gracefully.