Menopause

Understanding menopause will improve the quality of life for women and their families. Menopause is like reverse puberty: the hormonal shift results in physical, emotional, and cognitive changes in midlife that are as dramatic as in adolescence. Dr. Drahkshan understands that women have unique health requirements, and she specializes in menopause care and comprehensive health care to help women who have passed the childbearing years.

Cause of Menopause

As women age, the natural biological process of depletion of female hormones occurs and can cause a range of physical and emotional symptoms that might cause distress and pain. Some women are rendered menopausal by surgery or chemotherapy.

Common Symptoms of Menopause

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a common symptom of menopause and they can be very uncomfortable. When they happen at night, they’re called night sweats.  Hot flashes come as a sudden onset of intense heat then spreads, often followed by sweat and sometimes the sense of being cold afterward.

Not all women experience hot flashes. But for those who do, the severity and length of time of each hot flash can vary from person to person. Hot flashes can be very intense and very disruptive and even cause excessive sweating.  Night sweats can wake you up and cause you to need to change your night clothes or sheets, which can be very disruptive to your sleep.

Vaginal Dryness and Itching

As estrogen levels decrease, vaginal atrophy can occur. This causes the vaginal lining to become thinner and lose its elasticity, and the vaginal canal narrows and shortens. The first sign is a decrease of vaginal fluids but also a burning and/or itching of the vagina and vulvar. After and around the time of menopause, the body makes less estrogen. Estrogen is a hormone that helps maintain the vagina’s lubrication, elasticity, and thickness.  Low levels of estrogen can cause thinning, drying, and inflammation of vaginal walls. This is called vaginal atrophy.