Think Your Doctor Knows Everything About Menopause? Think Again
Women across the United States routinely entrust their primary care physicians with every aspect of their health, often assuming that unless their doctor sends them to a specialist, they can address any challenge that comes up. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When it comes to treating menopause, far too many primary care physicians are misinformed about current best practice, are unaware of the various treatment options that are available, or don’t know how to properly prescribe hormone replacement therapy.
As a consequence, far too many women suffer unnecessarily from the symptoms of menopause. The good news is that Renew Youth can help.
The Truth About Menopause Treatment (Or the Lack Thereof)
According to a 2013 Yale University study that looked at insurance claims from more than half a million women in different stages of menopause, six out of ten women who were experiencing significant menopause symptoms sought help from a doctor, but three out of four of them were not treated. Take a moment to really digest that statistic. Likely the doctors in question lacked the training and experience necessary to provide comprehensive care for menopause and its related symptoms.
Menopause Affects the Whole Person – Both Mind and Body
Too often when a general practitioner does provide treatment for menopause, they’ll treat symptoms in a superficial way without addressing the underlying hormone imbalance. For instance, a woman experiencing mood swings as a consequence of menopause may be prescribed an antidepressant. A woman struggling with insomnia may be prescribed a sleep aid. Meanwhile, the underlying cause is ignored. In other instances, women may be told to just “tough out” symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Shockingly, some symptoms, such as low sex drive and hair loss, may be dismissed as not important at all.
Only a doctor who is fully trained in all aspects of menopause and its proper treatment will appreciate that a woman experiencing vaginal dryness during menopause needs more than lubrication gel, and that a woman who begins feeling anxiety for the first time in her life during menopause does not necessarily need medication for anxiety. Rather, she likely needs hormone replacement therapy that is customized to her unique needs.
Menopause Symptoms Are More Than an Inconvenience
It will be difficult to get quality treatment from a doctor who believes that menopause symptoms are nothing more than an inconvenience. Apart from the real misery and suffering that menopause symptoms can cause, the truth is that menopause can also cause significant health issues, both short and long term.
Consider one study by the Women’s Health Initiative that looked at the link between hot flashes and breast cancer. They spent nearly 18 years studying women who had significant hot flashes, compared to those who did not. What they found was surprising: There was a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer among women who had experienced persistent hot flashes than for women who had not. This is just one of many studies correlating an increase in the risk of illness (from cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and more) with hormone imbalances. In other words, hormone imbalances and the symptoms associated with them are more than an inconvenience. They can have serious consequences when it comes to a woman’s health overall.
You Have Found the Help You Need
While it may be frustrating to have a doctor not take your needs seriously, there is good news. Renew Youth can help. Our doctors specialize in healthy aging and hormone replacement therapy. If you want comprehensive treatment that is tailored to your unique needs and symptoms, give us a call at (800) 859-7511 for your free phone consultation.
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