Perimenopause marks a period of significant change for women. While hot flashes and night sweats often steal the spotlight, a silent disease process lurks in the background - bone loss. This gradual weakening of bones can lead to increased risk of fractures later in life, making understanding and addressing it a crucial aspect of perimenopausal health.

If you want to be proactive about optimizing your health in perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, there are key lab tests to request that any healthcare practitioner can order. There is nothing more critical than understanding what is going on in your body to make the best choices for your future self.

Often times, women are reluctant to share their concerns about menopausal symptoms out of fear of being misunderstood or manipulated into thinking this is a normal phase of life and they must deal with it. The Menopause Society provides guidance on how to initiate the discussion with your own practitioner.

Menopause Hormone therapy (MHT) is one of the FDA-approved treatments for relief of symptoms related to menopause. These symptoms, caused by lower levels of estrogen before and after menopause, include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and vaginal dryness. MHT is also approved for the prevention of osteoporosis (bone loss). This post discusses types of available basic MHT and the risks/benefits.