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Women's Body Health

Menopause

This stage of life signals the end of a woman’s ability to give birth.

The Change of Life

Known as The Change of Life, the average age at which menopause occurs is 51 – although it can actually happen from any time from the 30’s to the mid-50’s or later based on a number of lifestyle and health factors such as smoking and weight.

This stage of life signals the end of a woman’s ability to have children although many healthcare providers actually use the term to refer to the period of time when a woman’s hormone levels start to change. Menopause is said to be complete when menstrual periods have ceased for one continuous year.

At ChristianaCare, we know this time of life can bring up a number of questions and concerns. We are here to help you with the utmost understanding and care to make sure you have all the facts and care, whenever you need it.

A woman having a hot flush drinking water

What Causes Menopause?

Menopause can also happen for reasons other than natural reasons. These include:

Premature menopause

Premature menopause may happen when there is ovarian failure before the age of 40. It may be associated with smoking, radiation exposure, chemotherapeutic drugs, or surgery that impairs the ovarian blood supply. Premature ovarian failure is also called primary ovarian insufficiency.

Surgical menopause

Surgical menopause may follow the removal of one or both ovaries, or radiation of the pelvis, including the ovaries, in premenopausal women. This results in an abrupt menopause. These women often have more severe menopausal symptoms than if they were to have menopause naturally.

What are the Symptoms of Menopause?

These are the most common symptoms of menopause. However, each woman may experience symptoms differently. Some have few and less severe symptoms, while others have more frequent and stressful ones.

The most common symptoms are vasomotor symptoms (VMS): brief periodic increases in body temperature. For 80% of women, hot flashes occur for 2 years or less, but some may experience them for more than 2 years. A hot flash may cause an increase in a woman’s heart rate. This causes sudden perspiration as the body tries to reduce its temperature and may also be accompanied by heart palpitations and dizziness. Hot flashes that happen at night are called night sweats.

Vaginal atrophy (also referred to as genitourinary syndrome of menopause or GSM) is the drying and thinning of the tissues of the vagina and urethra. This can lead to pain during sex, as well as vaginitis, cystitis, and urinary tract infections.

Which can lead to urinary incontinence and also increase the risk of the uterus, bladder, urethra, or rectum protruding into the vagina.

Intermittent dizziness, an abnormal sensation, such as numbness, prickling, tingling, and/or heightened sensitivity, cardiac palpitations, and fast heart rhythm may occur as symptoms of menopause.

Changing hormones can cause some women to have an increase in facial hair or a thinning of the hair on the scalp.

Several studies have indicated that menopausal women suffer no more anxiety, depression, anger, nervousness, or feelings of stress than women of the same age who are still menstruating. Psychological and emotional symptoms may be related to other factors.

Due to hormonal changes in the body.

Treatment for Menopause

We offer several therapies that help to manage menopause and make the transition to the next stage of life as easy as possible. The decision to start using these treatments should be made only after you and your healthcare provider discuss the risks and benefits.

Hormone therapy (HT) involves the taking a combination of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause and menopause. HT is most commonly prescribed in pill form. However, estrogen can also be given by using skin patches and vaginal creams.

Estrogen therapy (ET) involves taking estrogen alone, which is no longer being made by the body. ET is often prescribed for women who have had a hysterectomy. Estrogen is prescribed as pills, skin patches, and vaginal creams.

This type of treatment often involves the use of other types of medicines to relieve some of the symptoms associated with menopause.

Estrogen alternatives are the so-called “synthetic estrogens,” like ospemifene, improve symptoms of vaginal atrophy without affecting endometrial cancer risk.

Homeopathy and herbal treatments, often called bioidentical hormones, may offer some relief from some symptoms of menopause. However, there are concerns about potency, safety, purity, and effectiveness.

Find Your Provider

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Displaying 16 out of 16 ChristianaCare locations

Brandywine Women's Health
Brandywine Women's Health

700 West Lea Boulevard,
Wilmington,
DE 19802

Call 302-320-5690 Get directions

At ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services, our highly trained and skilled therapists will help you regain your independence and quality of life.
Center for Advanced Gynecology & Minimally Invasive Surgery at Concord Health Center
Center for Advanced Gynecology & Minimally Invasive Surgery at Concord Health Center View Location

161 Wilmington-West Chester Pike
Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Call 302-623-4410 Get directions

ChristianaCare’s Concord Health Center offers comprehensive outpatient medical services to serve you at one location on North Route 202 in Chadds Ford, PA, convenient to Delaware County, PA, and Chester County, PA, and Wilmington, DE. We accept most Pennsylvania and Delaware insurance plans.
Center for Advanced Gynecology & Minimally Invasive Surgery, Smyrna
Center for Advanced Gynecology & Minimally Invasive Surgery, Smyrna View Location

100 S. Main St.,
Smyrna, DE 19977

Call 302-623-4410 Get directions

The Smyrna Health & Wellness Center offers many of ChristianaCare’s high-quality outpatient services in the heart of downtown Smyrna. The Smyrna Health & Wellness Center makes it easy for residents of Smyrna, Clayton and Dover in Delaware, and of Millington, Massey and other communities in Eastern Maryland, to access high-quality health care near where they live and work.
Concord Health Center
Concord Health Center View Location

161 Wilmington-West Chester Pike
Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Call 610-361-1030 Get directions

ChristianaCare’s Concord Health Center offers comprehensive outpatient medical services to serve you at one location on North Route 202 in Chadds Ford, PA, convenient to Delaware County, PA, and Chester County, PA, and Wilmington, DE. We accept most Pennsylvania and Delaware insurance plans.
Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Smyrna
Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Smyrna View Location

100 S. Main St.,
Smyrna, DE 19977

Call 302-623-4055 Get directions

The Smyrna Health & Wellness Center offers many of ChristianaCare’s high-quality outpatient services in the heart of downtown Smyrna. The Smyrna Health & Wellness Center makes it easy for residents of Smyrna, Clayton and Dover in Delaware, and of Millington, Massey and other communities in Eastern Maryland, to access high-quality health care near where they live and work.
 Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Newark
Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Newark

4735 Ogletown-Stanton Road
Newark, DE 19713

Call 302-623-4055 Get directions

ChristianaCare Primary Care at MAP 2 includes family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics all in one, convenient location.
Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Wilmington
Center for Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Wilmington View Location

501 West 14th Street,
Gateway Building,
2nd Floor, Suite 2E33,
Wilmington, DE 19801

Call 302-623-4055 Get directions

A Wilmington landmark since 1890, fully modernized Wilmington Hospital with 321 beds and 622,100-square-foot facility serves as ChristianaCare’s corporate headquarters and provides ChristianaCare’s distinguished, high-quality health care in the heart of Wilmington.
Christiana Women's Health
Christiana Women's Health View Location

4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road,
Suite Y110,
Newark, DE 19718

Call 302-733-6510 Get directions

Christiana Women's Health
Christiana Women's Health View Location

4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road,
Suite Y110,
Newark, DE 19718

Call 302-733-6510 Get directions

ChristianaCare Greenville Obstetrics & Gynecology at PMRI
ChristianaCare Greenville Obstetrics & Gynecology at PMRI View Location

Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute at Pelleport,
3506 Kennett Pike,
Greenville, DE 19807

Call 302-661-3375 Get directions

The Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute at Pelleport, part of ChristianaCare, offers a range of programs designed to promote health, prevent disease and minimize disability.
ChristianaCare Maternity
ChristianaCare Maternity View Location

4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road,
Suite 5A43
Newark, DE 19718

Call 302-301-3360 Get directions

Delaware Center for Maternal & Fetal Medicine of ChristianaCare Inc.
Delaware Center for Maternal & Fetal Medicine of ChristianaCare Inc. View Location

4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road,
Suite 1992,
Newark, DE 19718

Call 302-319-5680 Get directions

Located on the Christiana Hospital campus, the beautifully designed and landscaped, 200,000-square-foot Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is a state-of-the-art facility that serves a majority of the cancer patients residing in Delaware. This National Cancer Institute selected Community Cancer Center features advanced medical, surgical and radiation procedures and diagnostic services. The cancer research program includes the Center for Translational Research, a collaborative program with the University of Delaware. The Graham Cancer Center also includes the ChristianaCare Breast Center, an outpatient facility that features the state’s only dedicated breast MRI.
Delaware Center for Maternal & Fetal Medicine of ChristianaCare Inc.
Delaware Center for Maternal & Fetal Medicine of ChristianaCare Inc. View Location

Abby Medical Center,
Suite 312,
1 Centurian Drive,
Newark, DE 19713

Call 302-319-5680 Get directions

Located on the Christiana Hospital campus, the beautifully designed and landscaped, 200,000-square-foot Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is a state-of-the-art facility that serves a majority of the cancer patients residing in Delaware. This National Cancer Institute selected Community Cancer Center features advanced medical, surgical and radiation procedures and diagnostic services. The cancer research program includes the Center for Translational Research, a collaborative program with the University of Delaware. The Graham Cancer Center also includes the ChristianaCare Breast Center, an outpatient facility that features the state’s only dedicated breast MRI.
Middletown East Women's Health
Middletown East Women's Health View Location

621 Middletown-Odessa Road,
Middletown, DE 19709

Call 302-203-2260 Get directions

Middletown CareCenter offers a variety of ChristianaCare outpatient services in a location convenient to Middletown, Odessa, Summit Bridge, Townsend and surrounding communities in Delaware, and to Chesapeake City, Georgetown, Cecilton and other communities in Eastern Maryland.
Smyrna Women's Health
Smyrna Women's Health

100 South Main Street,
Suite 215 Smyrna,
DE 19977

Call 302-659-4520 Get directions

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