Obstetrics and Gynecology

Arnot Health provides a full range of specialty services for women at every stage of life.  Our top-notch team of OB-GYN physicians offers services at numerous locations in the region, combining the latest technology with a caring approach.

Obstetrics and gynecology are surgical-medical specialties that deal with health care for women, especially the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the female reproductive organs.  Obstetrics focuses on pregnant women, while gynecology focuses on women who are not pregnant.  Health priorities vary for women in different age groups - i.e. reproductive, transitional, menopausal, and beyond.

Meet the Centralus Health OB/GYN Team

Menopause

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a naturally occurring life stage for all women after a certain age. A woman has reached menopause when her menstrual period has stopped for 12 consecutive months.

Because menopause is characterized by the permanent ending of a woman's menstrual cycles, it is clinically considered permanent loss of ovarian function. Types of menopause are defined by the age at which menopause occurs.

There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.

• Perimenopause: Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause when ovarian function starts to decline. This is the period of transition between premenopause and menopause. Symptoms can start many years prior to menopause. Signs you may be in perimenopause include: hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, brain fog, weight changes, vaginal dryness, and changes in menstrual periods, Your periods may be longer or shorter, heavier or lighter. During perimenopause, you may need to use birth control if you are at risk for pregnancy.
• Menopause: Menopause is when you have not had a menstrual period for 12 months in a row. The average age of the last menstrual period is 52.
• Post-menopause: During post-menopause, some symptoms may gradually decline, but because of decreased estrogen production, risks for certain conditions including vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, heart disease, and osteoporosis increase.

The most effective treatment for moderate to severe menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms is hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is safe for most people. While hormone therapy is the most effective treatment, lifestyle changes may also help manage your symptoms:

• Dress in layers
• Drink cold beverages
• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Use a fan when sleeping
• Get enough sleep
• Try meditation or yoga