As Seen on NBC4 Washington

What I Told NBC4 About Menopause

Perimenopause, menopause, and how to actually feel better through it — from Dr. Lynne Lightfoote’s conversation with News4 Today.

Dr. Lynne Lightfoote, board-certified OB/GYN, in her Washington, DC office

By Dr. Lynne Lightfoote

I sat down with the women of News4 Today on NBC4 Washington to talk about what I cover with patients every day: perimenopause, menopause, and how to actually feel better through it. If you missed it, here is what I most want you to know.

01 Perimenopause starts earlier than you think

Your hormones can begin shifting in your late 30s or early 40s. That is often what is behind the thinning hair, the poor sleep, the mood changes, and the vaginal dryness. You are not imagining it.

02 Hormone therapy is worth a conversation

What we knew years ago was incomplete. We understand it far better now, and it is an individual decision. It may be right for you or it may not, but you deserve to talk it through.

03 Brain fog is real

About 60 percent of women notice changes in memory and focus during this transition. It is not in your head, and for many women, estrogen helps.

04 Keep supplements simple

I am not here to sell you a cabinet full of pills. Get your vitamin D, around 800 IU a day, along with calcium and magnesium. Those are the essentials.

05 Give yourself permission

In our 20s and 30s we build families. In our 40s we master multitasking. By our 50s, we have learned the power of no, and I think that is a good thing.

We can feel so much better. You do not have to just push through it.

Here is the truth I keep coming back to: we can feel so much better. You do not have to just push through it.

Ready to feel better?

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