I know I don't want to be confined to a wheelchair or nursing home secondary to osteoporotic fractures, which could have been prevented or treated. Menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer have functional eggs. This post-menopausal ovary does not produce the hormones it once did when it was functioning to produce an egg each month. Since the ovaries are the major producers of estrogen in the body, estrogen levels are very low after the onset of menopause. These climacteric symptoms may occur even before a woman becomes post-menopausal, especially in perimenopause, the period that occurs before menopause onset.
Women have many options for menopause management.
Hopefully, this column will answer questions and enable women to make more informed choices. Dr. Judi Lee Chervenak is an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine Montefiore Medical Center in New York, where she combines a private practice in reproductive endocrinology and infertility with academic research, especially into perimenopause and menopause. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.