Menopause: Your Physical Examination

An annual checkup is important for a menopausal woman even if you do not want hormone replacement therapy or other prescription treatments. If you are more interested in natural health care alternatives, you may want to find a doctor who specializes in, or at least is knowledgeable about these areas. Some women prefer to visit both a doctor and a natural therapist, so that they can have the best of both worlds. This is a good idea, although unfortunately it may be a quite financially challenging to some.

Women who do not experience unpleasant symptoms pf menopause may be reluctant to consult a doctor, or may think there is no reason to, since they do not need or desire to have any form of "treatment". It should be emphasized that menopause is not a disease; and it is important not to medicalize it by taking an overly interventionist approach. However, the risk of certain serious diseases rises rather sharply at this time of life, so regular physical examinations become more important than ever for the maintenance of your good health.

Whatever your situation, a good doctor should take your individual perspective and needs into account. In addition, because the change menopause produces in your body is gradual, both you and tour physician should be aware that your needs and feelings may change over time. There is no need to rush into any form of treatment or to feel pressured by a doctor; the goal is to stay in tune with your body and work with your physician to optimize your health.

It is advisable that you consult a gynecologist or a doctor who has a special interest in women's health when you first experience premenopausal symptoms. If you are one of those lucky women who experience no premenopausal symptoms, you should visit your doctor once you realize that menopause is taking or has taken place. Your first visit should be around 30 to 40 minutes long, thus allowing time for a full history and medical examination.

Before deciding what medical treatment, if any, is appropriate for you, your doctor must take a medical history and perform all physical checkup and a battery of tests. At the time of menopause, your ovaries, adrenal glands and fat tissue may still produce enough sex hormones to keep you feeling well. In 10 years after menopause, your levels of sex hormones will gradually decline and at some point, you may feel a desire to try hormone replacement therapy. Your doctor would then want to know if there are any risk factors in your family history that could influence the decision to begin hormone replacement therapy. For instance, if you have a strong family history of breast cancer - if first-degree relatives have had the disease and especially if it was diagnosed before menopause - your doctor would be more conservative about giving you estrogen replacement. Conversely, if you have a family history of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease, your doctor would be more likely to advise you to take estrogen replacement on a long-term basis, as this would reduced your chances of following in your relative's footsteps.