Upper Cumberland women’s health professionals using World Menopause Month to challenge long-standing misconceptions about menopause.
Advanced Practice Nurse Midwife Jessica Tillery said one of the most significant misconceptions surrounds estrogen. Tillery said it was demonized following a major women’s health study in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“It’s taken this long for women to also be able to say, hey, I may be in my 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, but my health is still important and my hormones are still important,” Tillery said. “Estrogen so vital to our bodies, this is where we get our bone strength.”
Tillery said another misconception is when menopause-related changes begin. Tillery said the average age of menopause is 51, but women can begin experiencing hormonal changes 10 to 15 years earlier. Symptoms can extend well beyond hot flashes and include heavy bleeding, brain fog and pelvic floor issues.
“The amount of body systems that estrogenation and hormones touch cannot be counted because it’s every single one, there is really nothing that isn’t touched by our hormones,” Tillery said. “So the two big takeaways, one would be it starts earlier than you think and hormones are important earlier than you think.”
Changes can also show up in ways women may not immediately associate with hormones. Tillery said some women notice changes in mood and body composition as they move through perimenopause.
“Women will say, I eat no different than I ever have my entire life, but there’s this five to 10 pounds that has crept on and it’s all right in my abdomen,” Tillery said. “Absolutely it is, you’re not making things up, you’re not eating more, you do not need more discipline, that’s not what it is.”
Treatment has also moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Tillery said hormone testing alone does not always provide a complete picture because hormone levels fluctuate, making a woman’s symptoms and individual health needs important parts of deciding how to proceed. Options can include non-hormonal medications, pelvic floor physical therapy and transdermal estrogen.
“We keep close contact and we find what works and we optimize what works and we pull the things out that aren’t and replace them and we tailor that to you,” Tillery said. “It’s not overnight and that’s another thing we need to take away is investments in our health these aren’t quick fixes and they aren’t single faceted, it is not just a medication.”
Tillery said changing the conversation also means changing how women view this stage of their lives. Rather than accepting menopause as a point when health concerns should simply be endured, she said women have more information and treatment options available to help them remain active as they age.
“What I would want women my age and older to know now is life is just beginning,” Tillery said. “We have so much more knowledge now and we have so much more freedom now and we need to talk about our health problems, our issues, we need to have treatment for them so we can keep living.”
Tillery said women can also use this stage of life to invest in their own health, interests and relationships, whether through preventive care, physical activity, new hobbies or opportunities to build community.
