Natural Menopause Treatments

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Live Your Best Life with Natural Menopause Treatments

For centuries, the symptoms of menopause were considered a normal part of aging for a woman. And, sadly, menopausal females simply had to learn to endure the discomfort, indignities and health complications associated with menopausal hormone decline.

But recent advancements in modern medicine now offer women a wide variety of safe, effective and natural state-of-the-art menopause treatments. This is one reason why amazing, high-profile women such as Halle Berry (age 54), Sandra Bullock (age 57), Christie Brinkley (age 66), Cher (as 73) and Jane Fonda (age 81!) all live life with beauty and vitality.

Now, these leading-edge antiaging medical treatments are available to women of all walks of life at Ruthie Harper Integrative Health in Austin, TX.

In this article, women’s health specialist Dr. Ruthie Harper discusses four of the most advanced treatments for reversing the effects of menopause – so that her female patients can live life with youthful vitality, beauty and grace at every age.

What Is Menopause?

Menopause is the gradual decline in hormone production that transitions a woman from her reproductive years into the stage of life where she is not fertile and cannot conceive children.  Menopause is officially marked by a woman no longer having her menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. But “perimenopause” – the first stage in this process – can start up to eight to 10 years before menopause.

Throughout perimenopause and menopause, production of the “sex hormones” that regulate reproduction gradually but dramatically decline. However, these hormones – specifically estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – also affect many other aspects of a woman’s health and wellbeing besides reproduction! So, in addition to no longer having monthly menstrual cycles, perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women also typically experience a number of unpleasant symptoms and side effects.

Some of the side effects of menopause are more superficial: weight gain, increased belly fat, thinning hair, and aging skin. Other side effects of hormone decline range from mildly annoying to severely impacting a woman’s quality of life: hot flashes, night sweats, decreased libido, and pain during intercourse. And, menopause can also increase the risk of certain life-threatening medical conditions, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia.

Natural Treatments for Menopause

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment for Thinning Hair

Estrogen and progesterone are the hormones that assist hair in growing faster and staying on the head for longer periods of time. So, when a women’s production of estrogen and progesterone declines during menopause, hair grows much more slowly and becomes much thinner. Additionally, the decrease in these hormones triggers an increase in the production of male hormones or “androgens” that are responsible for shrinking the hair follicles.

One natural and effective treatment for restoring and thickening hair in women during and after menopause is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) hair restoration. PRP has been used in joint regeneration, sports medicine, and “Vampire Facials®” for several years. Now this revolutionary technology is available for hair restoration at our Austin, TX office.

Platelet Rich Plasma is a natural hair loss treatment in which growth factors are isolated from the patient’s own blood and then re-injected into the scalp to rejuvenate hair follicles, stimulate hair-growth, and thicken thinning hair.

Sight Defense MV for Eyesight

As a woman’s circle of friends gets older, it often becomes a running joke that nearly all of them need some form of “reading glasses” just to look at a menu. But certain types of declining eyesight are no laughing matter – and can in fact lead to blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for women over 60, with 2 million people suffering from the advanced form of the disease known as “Wet AMD.” Since estrogen helps protect against this common condition, the hormonal decline of menopause puts women at greater risk for developing AMD.

Recent clinical studies, as reported in Science Daily, have demonstrated that women in menopause who are given estrogen replacement have a 48% lower risk of developing advanced stages of macular degeneration. Dr. Ruthie Harper in Austin, TX is a hormone therapy expert who can restore estrogen levels with natural bioidentical hormone therapy – to help protect the eyes during and after menopause.

Dr. Harper has also created a high quality daily multivitamin called Sight Defense MV that contains the nutrients recommended by the National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). Sight Defense MV contains a specific formulation of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and high levels of antioxidants shown to significantly reduce the risk of advanced AMD and its associated vision loss.

Hormone Replacement for Sexual Health

The hormone decline of menopause can manifest in a wide variety of sexual problems for women. Vaginal dryness and itching, loss of interest in sex, reduced sexual sensation, and pain during intercourse can all result from menopausal hormone deficiency. 

The hormone estrogen is responsible for maintaining thick, healthy, elastic tissue in the vaginal walls, as well as producing the moisture needed to lubricate the vagina during sex.  Unfortunately, as estrogen production decreases during perimenopause, the walls of the vagina become thinner, lose their elasticity, and secrete fewer lubricating fluids. 

Replacing the body’s missing estrogen with hormone replacement therapy can help a woman’s body rebuild thick, strong, elastic vaginal walls, and improve production of vaginal lubrication. Stronger, healthier vaginal tissue means improved sexual sensation for the woman and her partner during penetration. And renewed lubrication reduces friction, so sexual intercourse becomes enjoyable again!

Additionally, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all play a role in female sexual arousal and desire. So, restoring optimal levels of these hormones can reinvigorate libido during menopause – restoring one’s interest in sex.

Comprehensive lab work is conducted so that the hormone replacement can be customized to offer the best strength and dosage for each individual woman’s unique hormone rebalancing needs. Thorough blood work also ensure that safe amounts of hormones are being administered. And the use of bioidentical hormones ensures that a woman’s body is only seeing the safe and effective hormones in her body that were once present in her younger years.

Aesthetic Treatments for Aging Skin

Dr. Ruthie Harper in Austin, TX understands that the visible or cosmetic signs of aging can also be demoralizing – affecting a woman’s confidence and self esteem as she navigates menopause and beyond. That is why she also offers an array of aesthetic treatments that combat and reverse the effects of aging on a woman’s skin.

Collagen and elastin are the protein building blocks that form the “scaffolding” of firm, healthy, youthful skin. While hyaluronic acid is the substance produced by your body to retain water and keep the skin lubricated, moist and “plump”.

As a woman goes through menopause her production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid slows considerably. Decreasing estrogen levels are also believed to contribute to reduced collagen production and water content. And as the skin loses these important structural components, it becomes dry, loses elasticity and begins to wrinkle and sag.

Dr. Ruthie Harper in Austin, TX offers several aesthetic treatments that naturally stimulate the body to begin producing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid – repairing the tissue, tightening and smoothing the skin, and reducing lines, wrinkles, discoloration (“age spots”) and other visible signs of aging.

The IPL facial is an advanced laser treatment that harnesses the power of “Intense Pulsed Light” to activate collagen and elastin production. Similarly, microneedling in our Austin, TX office creates microscopic needle pricks to the skin that stimulate the body’s own “wound healing” mechanisms. As the body goes to work repairing these “wounds,” it produces collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid – so aging skin becomes tighter, smoother and more youthful in appearance.

And, the Nova Thread “PDO thread lift” is a revolutionary, affordable, minimally invasive procedure that offers the skin-tightening benefits of a face lift – without surgery and with almost no downtime! Dr. Harper inserts invisible sutures or “threads” beneath the skin that lift and tighten the face, neck or other body part – and hold it in place to restore youthful tone and tightness.

Natural Menopause Treatments – Austin, TX

These and many other natural regenerative treatments available at our Austin, TX office enable women to look and feel their best during perimenopause, menopause and beyond! Thanks to these groundbreaking, state-of-the-art procedures and technologies fifty really IS the “new thirty”. 

Menopause and it’s frustrating and dangerous side-effects are NOT something you simply have to “learn to live with.” If you have begun to notice any of the signs of menopause – from thinning hair, to aging skin, or vaginal and sexual changes, low energy, weight gain or more – schedule an appointment with Dr. Ruthie Harper in Austin, TX today.

See will put together a safe and customized menopause treatment plan that is personalized for your unique, individual symptoms and health concerns – so you can live life to the fullest with health, vitality and beauty at every age!

Natural Menopause Treatment – Austin, TX: (512) 343-9355

Hormone Therapy for Menopause Treatment

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Six Symptoms of Menopause That Hormone Therapy Can Help

As a woman’s reproductive years come to a close, her body begins to reduce production of certain “sex hormones” including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. This period of transition, known as menopause, occurs on average around the age of 51. However, menopause can occur as young as the early 40’s – or as late as the early 60’s. For some women, menopause can also be brought on even earlier due to medical conditions or surgery (such as a hysterectomy) that affect a woman’s uterus and/or ovaries and their ability to make female hormones in a healthy and balanced way.

Unfortunately, the “sex hormones” that regulate reproduction, also affect virtually every other aspect of a woman’s health: from libido, to metabolism and weight gain, to mood and energy as well as bone density and so much more. For this reason, most women experience a wide variety of body changes and unwanted side effects as their hormones decline during menopause.

The most common symptoms of menopausal hormone decline include such unpleasant side effects as: hot flashes, low libido (sex drive), vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, embarrassing urinary incontinence, sleep problems, unwanted weight gain, mood swings, low energy, bone density loss (osteoporosis), and more.

But, the good news for menopausal women is that replacing declining hormones can offer long-lasting relief from most of the frustrating and uncomfortable symptoms of menopause.

In this article Austin, TX hormone replacement expert Doctor Ruthie Harper explains how hormone replacement therapy can help alleviate the signs and symptoms of menopause – so you can continue to live a full and happy life during and after menopause.

#1. Menopause Treatment for Hot Flashes

The symptom most commonly associated with menopause are bothersome hot flashes – sometimes called “hot flushes”. Hot flashes are estimated to affect up to 75% of perimenopausal and menopausal women. In addition to being uncomfortable, hot flashes can cause embarrassing perspiration which often occurs at the worst times, or can occur at night commonly called “night sweats” that disrupt a woman’s sleep.

Hot flashes are caused by the body’s “vasomotor” system – meaning that they result from a sudden dilation of the blood vessels. The resulting increase in blood flow is what causes the sensation of extreme heat and profuse sweating.

But in a recent medical study of 3,329 participants, simply replacing estrogen (or estrogen plus progesterone) resulted in a 75% reduction in hot flashes. Most experts, including those at the Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic, all state that the most effective treatment for menopausal hot flashes and night sweats is hormone replacement.

#2. Menopause Treatment for Low Energy

While most women realize that estrogen levels affect their health, many people don’t understand that testosterone – commonly thought of as a male hormone – is also an important female hormone and plays a substantial role in a woman’s energy level. Testosterone is the hormone that helps the body build proteins needed for muscle maintenance and energy.  It is also critically important for healthy wrinkle free skin (think why men have fewer wrinkles than women as thy age). So, when testosterone levels decline in women, it can lead to chronic and even debilitating fatigue and rapid aging.

Low energy during menopause can also be the result of deficient levels of thyroid hormones. The thyroid releases hormones that regulate “metabolism” – which refers to the body’s ability to store and use energy (think low energy and weight gain). And, one of the most common times for the onset of thyroid disease during is perimenopause or menopause.

So, in addition to restoring a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels during menopause, it is important to study her complete panel of hormones, including thyroid hormones. This is accomplished through comprehensive blood testing. Rebalancing estrogen, testosterone and thyroid hormones can often restore a woman’s energy and help her resume a healthy weight – so she can continue to live life with vitality at every age.

#3. Menopause Treatment for Low Sex Drive

In addition to experiencing hot flashes and fatigue during menopause, many women also find that their interest in sex – or their ability to become aroused or achieve orgasm– also declines. Sadly, many women believe that a low libido is just a “normal fact of aging.”  So, many menopausal women do not seek medical treatment for their loss of sex drive following menopause.

Women need to know that they CAN continue to have a satisfying sex life at every age. Clinical studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy can improve libido, arousal, sensation and sexual responsiveness in women.

#4. Menopause Treatment for Vaginal Dryness & Painful Sex

Vaginal itching and dryness – often accompanied by pain during intercourse – is one of the most uncomfortable side effects of menopause. Sadly, after menopause more than 50% of women suffer from vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.

The most common reason for vaginal dryness and pain during sex is the decline in estrogen that results from menopause.  The estrogen in a woman’s body is responsible for maintaining thick, healthy, elastic tissue in the vaginal walls, as well as producing the moisture needed to lubricate the vagina during sex.  But, as estrogen production decreases during menopause, the vaginal walls become thin, lose their elasticity, and secrete fewer lubricating fluids. 

Replacing the body’s missing estrogen with hormone replacement therapy can help a woman’s body rebuild thick, strong, elastic vaginal walls, and improve production of vaginal lubrication. As a result, sexual intercourse becomes enjoyable again!

#5. Menopause Treatment for Weight Loss

If you are a perimenopausal or menopausal woman you probably already know that it becomes harder each year to maintain your weight. And, during menopause, a woman’s weight genuinely can “shift” – with more fat being stored around the belly.

This is because the hormonal decline that occur during menopause causes weight gain – especially around the belly. But hormone replacement therapy can help you prevent weight gain, lose the weight you may have gained and tone up that mid-section!

When estrogen levels are low, the body’s metabolism slows down – which results in increased fat storage on the body (especially around the middle). Additionally, low estrogen levels mean that the body is less able to break down or “burn” fat, which also results in fat accumulation, weight gain and more “belly fat”.

Further adding to the problem, levels of the hormone leptin also drop during menopause. And this is the hormone that signals the brain to feel “full” when eating. So, most women actually do have a bigger appetite and feel hungrier during menopause – leading to the consumption of more calories.

Fortunately, replacing declining hormones can help curb the appetite, stimulate the metabolism, and encourage fat burning. As a result, the body can more easily lose weight, build muscle, and not store as much fat around the mid-section.

#6. Menopause Treatment for Osteoporosis

An invisible – but dangerous and even deadly – side effect of menopause is osteoporosis. This is because one of estrogen’s many essential duties is to stimulate the cellular activity that produces strong bones. So, during menopause when estrogen levels decline, the bones lose calcium and become thinner and more prone to breaking.

Sadly, up to fifty percent of women who are over the age 50 will suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis! But since osteoporosis has no visible external symptoms, many women do not even realize that they have lost bone density after menopause, until they experience a fracture.

Several recent clinical studies on menopausal women, however, have reported that estrogen replacement after menopause can prevent fractures due to osteoporosis. These controlled medical research experiments have universally reported that hormone replacement should be the first choice of therapy for osteoporosis, rather than bisphosphonate medicines such as Fosamax and Boniva.

So, rather than relying on “synthetic” drugs, integrative and preventative doctors prefer to treat the underlying cause of osteoporosis – which is estrogen deficiency – with hormone replacement therapy.

Natural Menopause Treatment – Austin, TX

In addition to treating hot flashes, low libido, fatigue, painful sex, vaginal dryness, weight gain, hot flashes and osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy has been shown to help prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and many other life-threatening medical conditions.

If you are a woman who is experiencing the challenges of perimenopause or menopause, schedule an appointment with Doctor Ruthie Harper in Austin, TX to see if hormone replacement therapy is the right treatment for you. Dr. Harper has taken care of menopausal women for over 20 years and will conduct a thorough and personalized hormone analysis and customize a menopause treatment plan that is safe and balanced for your unique needs.

And if you are outside of the Austin, TX area, or prefer to use telemedicine, Dr. Harper can schedule a tele-consultation, and have remote blood work done in your area, so you can start living your best life again throughout menopause and beyond!

Menopause Treatment – Austin, TX: (512) 343-9355