Perimenopause Specialist and Medical Terminology You Should Know
Here’s what you need to get the most out of your consultation with your doctor
One of the biggest challenges to being able to take charge of your own health is medical terminology. How many times have you left the doctor’s clinic feeling unsatisfied with your consultation, with more questions rather than answers, or being made to take medications without knowing what the side effects are?
Finding a doctor who will be sympathetic to your symptoms is crucial. If your doctor is the type who dismisses your symptoms and prefers to preach rather than to listen, you’re better off finding someone who understands what you are going through. Other than that, being familiar with the common terms that doctors and other healthcare professionals use is just as important not only for clarity, but also for your health.
Next time you visit your ob-gyn or family doctor to consult about your perimenopausal symptoms, take note of these medical terms you might encounter:
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Perimenopause – This is the transition stage from having normal, regular menstrual cycles to menopause or having no periods.
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Premenopause – This is the time when your period and your estrogen levels are normal.
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Early perimenopause – You are considered to be in early perimenopause when you start experiencing the symptoms associated with having low estrogen levels. You may experience irregular periods and you may even have no periods for durations of not more than 3 consecutive months at a time.
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Late perimenopause – The time before a woman is considered menopausal. You’ll know you’re in late premenopause when you have had no period for 3 to 11 consecutive months.
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Menopause/Post menopause – The stage when a woman no longer menstruates. To be considered in menopause, a woman has to have no period for at least 12 consecutive months.
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Estrogen – This is the primary hormone involved in regulating our periods. During perimenopause, our body begins to produce less estrogen and as a result we experience various discomforts such as hot flashes, depression, irritability, weight gain, and others as our bodies try to regulate this hormonal imbalance.
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Hormone replacement therapy - This treatment is used to help women manage the symptoms of perimenopause. It works by supplying our bodies with the estrogen it needs to maintain hormonal balance. HRT used to be the standard treatment for perimenopause. However, a recent long term study has shown that women taking HRT may be at greater risk for breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.
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Bio-identical hormones – These refer to estrogen hormones derived from plants. They are much more similar to the estrogen found in our bodies and are absorbed better and faster.
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Progestin – This is another hormone that is given together with estrogen to women who still have their uterus intact. Progestin acts to neutralize the increased risk of endometrial cancer or cancer of the uterine lining associated with estrogen therapy alone.
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Hysterectomy – This is a medical procedure where the uterus is removed. This is commonly done for uterine fibroids, which are benign growths in the uterus, abnormal vaginal bleeding, cervical dysplasia (a pre-cancerous condition), uterine cancer and endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Sometimes, the ovaries may also be removed at the time the hysterectomy is performed, in which case, the woman will immediately experience perimenopausal symptoms.
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Chronic disease – Chronic describes how long and how persistent a medical condition is. If it is chronic, then it is expected to last a long time (more than 3 months) and is persistent, meaning it doesn’t go away.
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Osteoporosis – This is a disease of the bone where the bone density is diminished. This makes our bones more fragile and more vulnerable to suffer fractures in a fall.
Here's What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You!
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