Women's Health
If you are a woman nearing the menopausal transition, you may be starting to experience hot flashes, new onset sleep disturbance, anxiety, and even burnout. Perhaps you are a young women experiencing unwanted hair growth and irregular menstrual cycles or you experience severe irritability and PMS each month.
The woman of today is working more than ever before and unwanted symptoms can interfere significantly with work and family life.
There are effective treatments available for the symptoms you may be experiencing. At YourNP, we will work with you to help you achieve optimal wellness during whatever phase of life you are in.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PCOS is a constellation of symptoms that result in excess androgens, menstrual irregularity, insulin resistance, and fertility issues. Symptoms of PCOS include acne, excess hair growth on face, chest or back, thinning hair in a male pattern distribution, polycystic ovaries, and difficulty losing weight.
Since PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, treatment is aimed at reversing the progression of the insulin resistance to prevent future diabetes and the comorbidities that go along with the diabetic disease process. Since women with PCOS often have low progesterone and may not have monthly menstruation, they are at increased risk of endometrial proliferation which could eventually lead to uterine cancer. Birth control pills and cyclic progesterone are options for prevention of endometrial hyperplasia in women with this syndrome.
Perimenopause / Menopause
Perimenopause is the period of life between the reproductive years and the postmenopausal period. During perimenopause , women can start to experience hot flashes, irregular periods (including more frequent or heavy periods to less frequent and light periods), and worsening of PMS symptoms. A woman is considered in menopause after 12 months with no menstrual period. Common symptoms of the menopausal transition/menopause include hot flashes/night sweats, insomnia, anxiety and/or depression, joint pains, difficuly concentrating, lack of energy, loss of interest in hobbies/work, increase in headaches, and vaginal dryness.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is considered the most effective method of controlling the symptoms of menopause, namely hot flashes and night sweats, but improvements in other symptoms are also seen with HRT. Other options for management of menopausal symptoms include complementary and alternative medicine, supplements, some antidepressants, gabapentin, and clonidine.
Related article and podcast:
Canadian Medical Association Journal, May 2023
A pragmatic approach to the management of menopause
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/19/E677
Premenstrual Syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects many women during their reproductive years and, in some women, can lead to significant dysfunction in the latter half of each menstrual cycle. PMS is a syndrome of physical and behavioural changes including breast tenderness, bloating, mood changes, fatigue, headaches, hot flashes in some women, and irritability. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is the more severe form of PMS that is marked with extreme irritability and sadness in addition to many of the other PMS symptoms.
These symptoms are due to changes in the hormones that are occurring throughout the second half of the menstrual cycle and helping balance these hormones can be beneficial in addition to lifestyle management with stress reduction, diet, and exercise. In some women who experience severe PMDD, treatment with antidepressants on a daily or cyclical basis can be very beneficial.