Category - menopause symptoms

Do you have a strong family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer? Are you thinking of doing a BRCA genetic test to find out if your genes put you at increased risk for those cancers? Would you visit your doctor or healthcare provider to get tested, or would you do as an increasing number …

It’s almost summer. For most, summer equals fun. But for the millions of women in perimenopause or already in menopause, the heat of summer means increased hot flashes.   Hot flashes are caused by a sudden release of heat accompanied by sweating. Blood vessels under the skin dilate suddenly to let off heat. That causes …

It’s International Women’s Day. When you think about women’s health, which of these do you think is most common? 1. Infertility? 2. Pregnancy? 3. Cancer? 4. Menopause? If you guessed #4 you are correct. Because even though those other conditions are common, every woman will reach menopause and most are not prepared. Just like you …

Ever since the Garden of Eden when Adam gave up a rib to have a companion, we’ve known that being alone isn’t what we’re designed to be. People do not do well with loneliness and isolation. I see it in my patients all the time. Feeling isolated often leads to sadness and depression. Loneliness raises …

When it comes to stress, we have an abundance of it. As a matter of fact, it’s estimated that up to 85% of doctor’s visits are stress-related.   But popping a pill is not the only solution for lowering stress.   There’s a very ancient solution…yoga.   Years ago when I was running a medical …

Are you struggling with midlife belly fat? Belly fat can mean much more more than how you look or your jeans or dress size. Your jelly belly may be a clue you’ve got metabolic syndrome. I’m discussing metabolic syndrome in honor of Diabetes Awareness Month. In the U.S., 114 million people either have diabetes or …

November is National Diabetes Month. And diabetes definitely needs more awareness. There are approximately 114 million people in the U.S. affected by diabetes. 30 million have the disease and 84 million more people have prediabetes meaning their blood sugar is elevated but not yet quite to the point that they are diagnosed with diabetes.   …

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Women are marching around the country to bring awareness and to raise money for breast cancer prevention. It’s no wonder. Breast cancer is scary and with good reason. It can be a lethal disease, the treatment can change a woman’s body, and screening is uncomfortable.   But there is …

Ever since a 2002 study called the Women’s Health Initiative or WHI reported that estrogen and hormone replacement therapy caused breast cancer, heart disease and more, millions of women have stopped taking it and millions more never start using it…   And doctors have largely stopped prescribing it.   As a result, estrogen went from …

I know that many women are concerned about the effects of estrogen on their breasts. How could they not be? So much has been written and discussed about estrogen, especially since many of the medications for breast cancer have been created to inhibit estrogen production. While understanding estrogen’s role on the breasts is important, estrogen …