News flash… women get hot flashes. But did you know that approximately 80% of women will experience hot flashes in their peri-menopausal years? Eighty percent! You are not alone. So why is it that only 20-30% of us women seek menopause treatment in San Diego to address this very common and treatable symptom!? One reason is the misnomer that it’s just a part of getting older as a woman and the only way to address symptoms of peri-menopause is with hormone therapy. Not True! Let’s find out how naturopathic medicine in San Diego can help.
Let’s start by defining peri-menopause and menopause. “Peri-menopause” is the time of transition from your productive years into your non-productive years. And it begins an average four years before your final period. This is where we start to see fluctuations in hormonal levels, your cycle may become “wonky” and unpredictable, and you may start to feel some symptoms here and there. This is an indicator you are approaching the end of dealing with a period!
Now let’s define menopause… The word ‘menopause’ comes from the Greek words ‘menos’, meaning month, and ‘pause’, meaning to cease. And it is literally the 12-month window of transition between your last menstrual period into becoming “post-menopausal”, i.e., ceasing to menstruate. It is the closing of the door of fertility. And for some women, it can be a time of reflection and loss. We always want to acknowledge that this time is different for each woman.
However, the process occurs for you, we feel strongly that it is important for women to feel supported, healthy, and strong during this time. And naturopathic medicine has so many powerful tools to support the transition from perimenopause to menopause, and beyond!
Some of the common symptoms that can be addressed and treated by our naturopathic doctors in San Diego include:
- Hot Flashes
- Night Sweats
- Brain Fog / Issues with Memory
- Low Energy / Fatigue
- Mood Changes Including Lack of Motivation, Apathy
- Weight Gain and Inability to Lose Weight
- Hair Loss and Thinning
- Skin Changes Including Hyperpigmentation, Fine Lines & Wrinkles
- Decreased Libido
- Vaginal Dryness and Pain with Intercourse
Step One: We begin by addressing the foundational lifestyle and environmental factors that are known to support healthy hormone levels. Things like sleep, nutrition, stress management, toxic load and liver function all play a role in how symptoms can manifest and present. We explore opportunities where we can help you improve your daily habits and support you in shifting to a routine that promotes overall wellness. For example, supporting a healthy sleep/wake cycle for deep/restorative sleep is so critical in balancing the effect of the adrenal hormones in their interaction with the sex hormones.
Step Two: We look at your physiology via blood work and other diagnostics to give us a snapshot of your current hormone levels and other markers of general wellness. There are many factors that influence hormonal balance and testing helps to guide individualized and targeted therapies. We aim to address the underlying cause of your specific symptom presentation and build a customized treatment plan for you and only you. This plan often includes supplements and herbs that support healthy hormone metabolism (how hormones are properly detoxed) as well as other causes of low energy, compromised cognitive function, bone density loss and increased inflammation.
Step 3: Whether your plan includes supplements, herbal support, and/or bio-idential hormone replacement therapy, we are here to support you every step of the way. Ongoing care, with periodic follow up, provides assurance that you are receiving proper dosing to produce results, maintain balance with safe and appropriate hormone levels, and all of this translates into you feeling like the vibrant and youthful you again!
To access some of the general foundational recommendations that have worked for so many of our patients, please check out our complimentary 30-Day Menopause Relief Guide by submitting a request below. We are your Menopause relief specialist in Rancho Santa Fe, CA and the greater San Diego area!
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of medicine that skillfully combines natural therapeutic traditions with modern science to restore and optimize health. For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Naturopathy doctor, please call NaturopathicRX at (858) 914-3444.