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This issue's topics:

Menopause: Understanding Your Changing Body

A new page at the website on diabetes facts and statistics

Our new Patient Referral Program is a hit! Are you taking advantage of it?

Check out our new "Dr. Marcantel Recommends" feature in the Patient Reception Room

An exciting new website feature in the works: Teaching videos from Dr. Marcantel

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Menopause: Understanding Your Changing Body

by Dr. Tina Marcantel

Every woman who goes through middle age will experience menopause. For a fortunate few, this transitional time is relatively easy; for many others, “the change” is marked by a number of physical and psychological challenges that may leave them frustrated and physically drained. As with any health issue, the more a woman understands the process of menopause, the better she will be able to deal with it.

What is menopause?

Medically speaking, menopause is said to be the stage of life when no menstrual periods have occurred for a period of one year. This cessation of menses is due to decreasing ovarian function. In the United States, the average age is 51 years old; however, it can happen any time from your 30s to your mid-50s or later.

It’s important to understand that this process is not a disease; it’s a normal part of a woman’s life. But just as puberty can be a scary and confusing time for young girls, the entrance to this stage of adulthood can leave us wondering why our bodies appear to be “rebelling” against us or even questioning our own sanity! Our lifestyles can also be a contributing factor in the severity of menopausal symptoms: stress, poor diet, and lack of good exercise habits can often exacerbate the problems we encounter.

Signs and symptoms

For some, the symptoms associated with the changing levels of estrogen and progesterone in their bodies may be relatively mild. For others, however, the physical symptoms can be moderate to severe and may include hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, and atrophic vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina due to thinning and shrinking tissues and a decrease in lubrication) which can cause burning, itching, or bleeding. Weight gain and changes in blood pressure can also accompany menopause.

Many women may also find themselves going through psychological changes, as well. Fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, memory loss, mood swings, irritability, and an inability to concentrate are common.

Treatment

While this is a normal part of life, for many women it is very difficult to deal with the symptoms as their bodies adjust to the changes they are going through. The good news is that there are things we can do—often through natural therapies—that can help. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, you may want to seek medical help in coping with the problems.

Many women who seek medical help for their symptoms (particularly for anxiety and depression) may find that their doctors are quick to prescribe drugs such as antidepressants or sleeping pills that simply mask their symptoms and can lead to dependency or unwanted side effects. This treatment can certainly be appropriate at times, but it is often possible to approach the root causes of the symptoms in natural ways that are ultimately more effective.

In my practice the first step, as always, would be a complete medical history and physical exam. It’s important to determine whether the reported symptoms are really menopause-related or if there are other medical conditions that need to be taken into account as part of the treatment program.

Laboratory tests, if indicated, can be very helpful. For instance, if FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) is markedly elevated and estrogen is depressed, this constitutes a lab diagnosis of ovarian failure. A salivary hormone evaluation would also include testing levels of estradiol (E-2), progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol a.m. level, and the ratio of progesterone to estradiol. These tests can help the doctor develop an individualized protocol for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), if needed.

There are a number of other things women can do along with BHRT to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause and head off potential post-menopausal problems like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. A proper diet, a good exercise regime, and dietary supplements and vitamins all should be part of an overall wellness program.

I believe a woman should be evaluated holistically. I spend time not only teaching about the physical and mental aspects of menopause, but the spiritual aspects, as well. For years we may have given ourselves to the nurture and care of others. This change of life speaks to us to return to self and embrace ourselves with kindness and love. An important part of my therapy program is a reminder of the importance of taking time for oneself and nurturing self during this transition.

Coming soon: Dr. Marcantel will share her personal story of how she has dealt with the challenges of menopausal-related health issues.

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Just how serious is type 2 diabetes? Did you know that:

*Diabetes affects an estimated 18 million people in the United States--13 million have been diagnosed, but 5.2 million are unaware they have the disease.

*Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

*88-97% of all cases of type 2 diabetes are attributable to obesity. Children are now developing type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate.

Take a look at our new page of Diabetes Facts and Statistics in our Diabetes Central section.

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Lots of Dr. Marcantel's patients are spreading the word to their friends and taking advantage of the discounts we're offering through our patient referral program. Find out how you can qualify for a $200.00 gift certificate to a Valley day spa!

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"Dr. Marcantel Recommends" is a new feature in our Patient Reception Room. It's a resource list of products and services that Dr. Marcantel recommends for her patients and where they can be found locally, as well as books and websites she thinks you can benefit from. We'll continue to add to the list as we discover new wellness resources.

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We're currently working on an exciting new series of teaching videos by Dr. Marcantel that we'll be introducing to DrMarcantel.com over the coming months. Keep an eye on these newsletters to learn what subjects they cover and when they'll be available for viewing!

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We want to hear from you about your experiences with Dr. Marcantel's services. Patient feedback is extremely important to us because it tells us how we're doing in providing you with the quality care we strive for. We would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to print the Patient Feedback Form, fill it out, and drop it in the mail to us. You can print it directly from the pdf file link above or, if you prefer, you can download the text file and copy it into Word and fill it out on your computer.

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Have you tried IV therapy yet? A growing number of Dr. Marcantel's patients are reporting great results from their IV therapy treatments. Read Dr. Marcantel's article on How IV Therapy Can Benefit YOU and give her a call to see if this program might be right for you to give you more energy, supply your body with much-needed vitamins and nutrients, and boost your immune system.

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Is it time for a health maintenance visit with Dr. Marcantel? Remember that it's easier to stay healthy than it is to get healthy. Call today for an appointment with Dr. Marcantel to evaluate your current progress with your personal health regimen: 480-985-0000. Need directions to our office or other contact information? Just click here for details.

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Dr. Tina Marcantel

5416 East Southern Avenue #110

Mesa, AZ 85206

480-985-0000

Newsletter written by Peter Marcantel, webmaster for DrMarcantel.com.