For some women, menopause serves as a cause for celebration. With freedom from menstrual cycles, many women embrace this period of life whole-heartedly. But for other women, the side effects associated with menopause can feel all-consuming, or even debilitating.
At The Well Westlake, we believe all patients deserve to age gracefully. Fortunately, with treatment options like the O-spot shot, FormaV, and HRT in Westlake, OH, our experts help patients enjoy the aging process—regardless of the symptoms associated with menopause.
Continue reading our blog to learn more about our top 3 treatments for combatting the symptoms associated with menopause. If you’re ready to speak with a professional, visit our website or call our team to learn more.
What is menopause?
Menopause marks a moment in time when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle and she can no longer get pregnant. As a natural part of the aging process, most women experience menopause when the ovaries stop producing reproductive hormones, usually around age 52.
Considered a gradual process, menopause occurs in 3 stages:
- Perimenopause – Also known as the menopause transition. Typically begins 8 to 10 years before menopause as estrogen levels decrease.
- Menopause – The defined moment when a woman no longer has a menstrual period.
- Postmenopause – The time after menopause. Women stay in postmenopause for the rest of their lives.
With perimenopause comes a variety of hormonal changes and frustrating symptoms, including:
- Hot flashes – A sudden and uncomfortable feeling of warmth that quickly spreads over the body. Usually occurs in the upper body and face.
- Vaginal dryness – A lack of vaginal lubrication that leads to itching and soreness. Can make sexual intercourse painful.
- Urinary incontinence – Uncontrollable bladder leakage or the constant need to use the restroom. Occurs with activities that put pressure on the bladder like laughing, coughing, sneezing, and exercise.
- Insomnia – Difficulties falling and staying asleep. Can also involve waking up too early and being unable to fall back asleep.
- Irregular periods – Can be heavier or lighter than previous menstrual bleedings. Periods can also happen closer together and include more frequent spotting.
- Emotional changes – Can include everything from irritability to depression. You may feel quicker to anger or emotions more deeply.
- Breast pain and tenderness – A dull ache in both breasts that feels most apparent right before menstrual bleeding begins.
- Night sweats – Drenching sweats that soak through your clothes and bedding. Can disrupt sleep and occur even in cooler temperatures.
- Brain fog – A cognitive impairment that affects your ability to focus or concentrate. You may have difficulty finding or remembering the right words.
Most of these symptoms ease up during the postmenopausal stage.
It’s important to note that you still can get pregnant during perimenopause. For this reason, we recommend you continue to use some form of birth control if you do not want to get pregnant. Our experts also recommend you take a pregnancy test if you’ve skipped a period during this time but are unsure if it’s because of menopause.
Menopause Treatments at The Well Westlake
Though menopause can disrupt your day-to-day life, our experts help you minimize its side effects and get back to feeling your best.
Here’s a brief overview of our top 3 menopause treatments:
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Westlake, OH, regulates hormonal imbalances by supplementing your declining estrogen during menopause. Once estrogen returns to its original levels, most patients find relief from menopausal symptoms.
We offer multiple hormone replacement therapy options at The Well Westlake.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses processed plant hormones to replenish estrogen levels. This type of HRT in Westlake, OH, is the closest to the body’s authentic hormones and are available in cream form or as implanted pellets. These implants are inserted under the skin and gradually disperse hormones throughout the body.
We also offer synthetic hormones, which are manufactured to match hormones the body naturally produces. This type of hormone replacement therapy has creams, patches, and oral supplements as available delivery methods.
What to Expect From Treatment
If you’re interested in learning more about HRT in Westlake, OH, we recommend scheduling a consultation with one of our providers. At this appointment, your provider asks about your symptoms, medical history, and medications you’re taking to rule out other possible underlying conditions.
After your consultation, your provider has you complete a series of lab tests to determine which form and dosage of hormone replacement therapy can address your menopausal symptoms. Using the information from your lab test and consultation, you and your provider create your personalized treatment plan.
If you choose an implanted BHRT pellet, your provider will numb your skin and make a small incision near the gluteal region. They then insert one or more hormone pellets underneath the skin.
After 7 weeks on HRT in Westlake, OH, you visit our office for your first follow-up appointment to check in on your progress. Your provider will check your hormone levels and may adjust your dose or switch your method of hormone replacement therapy depending on your symptoms and your lab results.
From there, women need to visit our office every 3 to 4 months and men every 6 to 7 months to continue monitoring hormone levels and symptoms as well as for additional hormone pellet insertions.
Vaginal Rejuvenation
If menopause has you coping with urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, or vaginal laxity, FormaV can help.
As a non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedure, FormaV uses radiofrequency energy and localized heat to stimulate collagen production and increase blood flow to the tissues.
Collagen, the body’s primary protein building block, provides the skin with structure and support. Increasing this protein with FormaV strengthens the vaginal tissues at a cellular level while addressing a variety of menopause symptoms, such as:
- Urinary incontinence
- Vaginal laxity
- Painful intercourse
- Vaginal dryness
- Lack of sexual pleasure
Treatment Process
Like with HRT in Westlake, OH, you start your FormaV treatment process by visiting our office for a comprehensive consultation. During this appointment, your provider asks about your symptoms to determine how vaginal rejuvenation can address your wellness needs.
Refraining from using alcohol or tobacco products can speed up the body’s tissue rebuilding process. Your provider goes over additional preparation steps during your initial consultation.
At your FormaV appointment, your provider lubricates and inserts the device applicator wand into your vaginal canal. You may feel a slight warming sensation as your provider rotates the treatment wand and delivers radiofrequency energy to your vaginal tissues, but you should not feel pain from our vaginal rejuvenation techniques.
Most FormaV treatments take 30 minutes to complete. We recommend undergoing 3 sessions spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart to achieve optimal results. One additional maintenance session per year can help you prolong relief from any of the symptoms you may be experiencing.
You should avoid sexual intercourse for a few days following your vaginal rejuvenation treatment to give your tissues time to rebuild. Continuing to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water also enhances treatment efficacy.
O-Spot or G-Spot Shots
Along with vaginal laxity and dryness, menopause can also make achieving an orgasm more difficult.
Lower estrogen levels after menopause can lead to changes in your genital tissues and how the body responds to sex. Decreased estrogen also causes less blood to flow towards the pelvis, increasing the time needed to become aroused and reach orgasm.
If decreased sensitivity impacts your sexual intimacy and ability to orgasm, our experts recommend O-spot or G-spot enhancement shots. These injections use platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or blood that’s concentrated to contain more platelets than normal, to boost collagen and aid in healthy tissue production.
Your Treatment Plan
Like all other sexual health treatments, you first meet with your provider for an initial consultation. During that conversation, you discuss your health concerns and medical history to determine how the O-spot or G-spot shots can address your sexual wellness needs.
Before each appointment, you should stay hydrated and eat a light meal to avoid feeling faint during your blood draw. You may also want to avoid alcohol and tobacco products for 48 hours before your appointment.
On the day of your treatment, your provider draws a small sample of blood, which they place into a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the other components of your blood. Your provider first numbs the area then injects the PRP into your treatment area to improve sensitivity. Most appointments take 60 minutes to complete.
Results from the O-spot and G-spot shots typically last up to 4 years. We recommend scheduling additional maintenance treatments to prolong your enhanced sensation.
There’s no downtime or recovery involved with either shot, but we do recommend refraining from sexual activity for 7 days following your appointment. Most patients notice increased sensitivity and improved orgasms within the first 2 weeks after their injections, but you may not see full results until 3 months after your appointment.
Request an Appointment
Let’s face it: Going through menopause seems easy—until you get to it. With so many uncomfortable symptoms taking over your everyday life, how can you truly enjoy the aging process?
Fortunately, our experts help you fight back against menopause and its frustrating side effects. Between O-spot shots, FormaV vaginal rejuvenation, and HRT in Westlake, OH, aging gracefully has never been easier.
Visit our website or give us a call to schedule your consultation.
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