What Is The Menopause & How Can CJA Balance Doctors Help Women Experiencing Upsetting & Uncomfortable Symptoms?
CJA Balance has a team of qualified doctors who are dedicated to helping women suffering from menopausal symptoms which are getting in the way of their enjoyment of life.
The menopause is a natural part of ageing that occurs when a woman’s oestrogen levels decline, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. As a woman ages, her ovaries produce less oestrogen and her body stops releasing eggs to mark the end of her ability to get pregnant naturally.
Sometimes the menopause can be brought on by surgery to remove the ovaries, a total hysterectomy, some breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It can also be brought on by an underlying medical condition, such as Down’s syndrome or Addison’s disease.
While some women go through the menopause without any issues, many experience a wide range of side effects including hot flushes, reduced libido, mood swings, memory lapses and depression.
Our doctors are specialists in determining whether you are, indeed, going through the so-called ‘change’ and can offer help, advice and, where applicable, medication to help you through this difficult time. But first, let’s find out more about the menopause.
How Do I Know If I Am Going Through The Menopause?
The menopause is when a woman stops having a period, which marks the end her reproductive period and ability to get pregnant. It is often a gradual process which starts with the Perimenopause – usually in a woman’s 40s – when the ovaries gradually begin to make less oestrogen.
Periods usually become less frequent over a few months or years before stopping entirely. Sometimes a woman’s period may stop suddenly – this is nothing to be alarmed at but is just your body’s way of coping.
In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51, but around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before age 40. This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency.
Please talk to our CJA Balance medical team if you have any concerns about the menopause or any menopausal symptoms that are causing you concern. CJA Balance offers consultations as well as an at-home blood test to measure your hormone levels to help confirm whether you are menopausal.
Can I Still Get Pregnant During The Menopause?
It is important to continue to take contraceptive if you wish to avoid getting pregnant during the menopause. Your periods are likely to be irregular as your body changes and you may remain fertile for up to two years after your last menstrual period.
Please also note that HRT is not a contraceptive. While some forms of HRT do contain oestrogen, the levels are no strong enough to prevent pregnancy. Contraceptive pills contain a much stronger form of oestrogen and synthetic oestrogetn which takes a long time to be cleared from the body.
What Treatments Does CJA Balance Offer For Women Going Through The Menopause?
Very often, women also experience some unpleasant symptoms as they go through the menopause. These might include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex, difficulty sleeping and low mood or anxiety.
Women with low testosterone levels may also experience weight gain and a sluggish metabolism, loss of lean muscle, weakened bones, declining memory and impaired cognitive functions, thinning hair or hair loss, decreased sexual libido and desire.
The GMC-qualified doctors at CJA Balance can help balance your hormone levels to reduce these symptoms. Treatment options can include combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (oestrogen and protesterone), oestrogen-only HRT and testosterone & oestrogen. Find out more about the treatment options for menopausal women here.
