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Menopause

Somerset Constructive & Reconstructive Surgery

Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgeons & OBGYNs located in Warren, NJ

The change in life that occurs as women wind down their reproductive years and enter menopause can range from mild to extreme, and no two women are alike when it comes to the symptoms they experience. Dr. Shilpa Clott, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Warren, New Jersey, is armed with the latest science and technology and can help ease the transition, allowing women to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle with minimal disruption. If you suspect you’re entering menopause, call Somerset Women’s Care to set up an appointment at his private practice to better understand the resources available to manage this new phase of your life.

Menopause Q & A

What is menopause?

Women’s bodies are designed to reproduce, and just as puberty signals the body’s readiness for childbearing, menopause signals the end of the reproductive cycle. For most women, the lead up to menopause, called perimenopause, starts in their late 30s and 40s. During this period, production of the female hormone estrogen, which is produced by the ovaries, starts to decrease. Typically, menstrual cycles become progressively irregular during perimenopause as egg production winds down.

A woman is considered to have entered full menopause when she has missed 12 periods in a row, which typically happens in a woman’s late 40s and early 50s. In some instances, special circumstances, such as a hysterectomy or chemotherapy, bring on sudden and early menopause.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Perimenopause and menopause affect women very differently -- some women have minimal symptoms and cruise through perimenopause into menopause with very little disruption in their daily lives. For others, the experience is far more disruptive, with considerable impacts on daily life. For most, however, the experience lies somewhere in between.

The most common symptoms associated with menopause are:

  • Irregular periods or abnormal bleeding
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of sleep
  • Moodiness
  • Anxiety
  • Painful sex
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Thinning hair
  • Weight gain
  • Incontinence

What are the treatments for menopause?

If you’re entering menopause, rest assured that medical research is continually looking for new ways to improve the quality of life for women as they transition into their post-reproductive years. Common treatments include:

  • Hormone replacement
  • Lifestyle changes
  • Laser therapy

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for menopause, and each woman experiences different degrees of symptoms that need to be treated on a case-by-case basis. The good news is that new technology, like laser therapy, has been highly effective in combatting common quality-of-life symptoms, such as incontinence and vaginal dryness. And new research is continually confirming the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through the transition to minimize the often unpleasant side effects of menopause.

Dr. Clott helps you come up with a treatment plan specifically designed to minimize your discomfort and maximize your quality of life.