Menopause Treatment and Medical Services: FSA Eligibility

What is menopause?

Menopause is a normal biological process that affects women at varying stages of their lives that marks the end of their menstrual cycles and fertility as a whole. While menopause has the potential to occur in a woman's 40s and 50s, the average age is about 51 and will occur about 12 months after a woman's last menstrual cycle. However, menopause is often accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes, sleep problems, night sweats, vaginal dryness, slowed metabolism and more (National Institute on Aging).

What are menopause treatment medical services?

In some cases, when menopause symptoms can begin to affect a woman's quality of life, there are a variety of treatment methods available for these symptoms, as well as may exacerbate chronic conditions over time. Some of the most common menopause treatment medical services include via Mayo Clinic:

• Hormone therapy: In some cases, when regular hot flashes become too much to handle, estrogen therapy is one of the most common methods of reducing their frequency. Dosage will vary based upon the patient's family medical history, and some women may need progestin in addition to estrogen therapy.
• Antidepressants: While psychological treatment for emotional issues that arise during menopause, some low-dose antidepressants have been found to reduce the frequency of hot flashes as well. Selective seratonin uptake inhibitors (SSUIs) may be a good option for women who cannot take estrogen for health reasons, as well as being effective in treating some mood disorders.
• Vaginal estrogen: Women who experience vaginal dryness during menopause can benefit from vaginal estrogen treatments, which is administered directly into the vagina with a vaginal cream, tablet or ring. This can be an effective means of relieving vaginal dryness, discomfort during intercourse and urinary symptoms that may have arisen during the onset of menopause.

Any treatment undertaken to treat menopause symptoms should be discussed with a doctor to investigate the risks and benefits of each. After menopause, it's recommended that women review their options with their physicians yearly to adjust to the changing needs of the patient and any new treatment options that may be ideal for a patient's needs.