Each woman should be evaluated, for individual perimenopause or menopause symptoms, AND for individual risks of future diseases. 

This approach requires a thorough health history, judicious use of tests to assess hormone status, diagnostic tests to assess metabolic function and to determine risks for osteoporosis and heart disease, and an appreciation of risk factors for breast cancer.

Your health care provider should talk to you about not only your physical but your emotional health as well, and understand your future health goals. 

In order to accomplish health and hormone balance goals, both you and your health care provider must embrace a very individualized approach.  Perimenopause/menopause assessment should involve understanding the specific symptoms you are having, the severity of them as well as how often they occur.  For example, do you have problems sleeping, how often does this occur, and do you have trouble falling or staying asleep?

Risk factors for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and dementia (such as Alzheimer’s) should have a determination of “low risk”, “some risk”, and “high risk”. 

This combined full picture assessment leads to treatment choices that may involve alternative and/or conventional therapies along with enhanced lifestyle strategies.

Although more conventional HRT regimens exist, and new non-hormonal drugs are being developed, a health care provider that has an understanding of the whole spectrum of options - from the most natural to the most conventional - will be in the ideal position to properly advise and work with you on developing a customized optimal treatment and prevention plan. 

While many women choose to "self-treat" with over the counter substances for menopause symptoms, and many are successful, they may just be treating symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings, but not fully understanding the “heart of the matter.” 

Symptoms need to be understood from the root cause, and what relationship there is to long-term concerns such as bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, vaginal tissue health, and other concerns.

Many women will self-prescribe mineral and vitamin supplements for the prevention of disease, but not identify their risks with objective testing nor monitor changes in health over time.  The identification of disease risks may not seem important in the early perimenopausal years, but acquires increasing importance with aging. 

It is not an unrealistic goal to be healthy for a lifetime!  It simply takes full knowledge of individualized health status to make choices for YOU.

Just remember, every woman is unique.  The goal is balance.

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