National Women's Health Month, a perfect time to talk about menopause
MIAMI - It's a fact of life for most women, but still considered a taboo topic of conversation.
That's why National Women's Health Month, a time to give women the knowledge to improve their health, is the perfect time to talk about menopause.
"I have my thermostat at 65. I take off the covers. I put them back on I'm sweating. Are you going through the same thing?" said CBS Miami's Marybel Rodriguez in a candid conversation with two other women who are going through menopause.
It's a question many women do not want to answer especially not publicly.
"I started feeling hot flashes, changing my moods," said Dianeleis Perez, who is going through menopause.
Perez is 51 and says she started going through menopause in her late 40's. Alexandra Hill is 49 and says she is going through it now.
"The biggest secret that women don't want to talk about is your sex drive. You don't want to have sex you don't feel like having sex how do you explain that to your husband?" said Alexandra Hill.
Both women are nurses and work with Dr. Alberto Dominguez Bali an obstetrician and OBGYN at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, who says this is a natural process and there is nothing to be embarrassed about.
"To say, I am a menopausal woman it's a shame. It shouldn't be. It's okay. It's normal."
Dr. Dominguez-Bali says that some women may begin to experience the pre-symptoms of menopause known as perimenopause in their late 30's. But for most women, it is not until their late 40's early 50's when they experience their first symptoms of menopause.
"Palpitations, anxiety, panic attacks, headache, lack of energy, all those are symptoms of menopause not only those, there are others, but those are the most frequent. However, you can enter menopause with all those symptoms and without symptoms," said Dr. Dominguez Bali.
A topic of conversation both Perez and Hill should talk about openly.
"If we talk about it and we reach out and more and more in conversation like we're having a conversation like you have the flu and more people are aware and reach for help because they need it," said Hill.
Both Perez and Hill are on hormone replacement therapy and say they feel so much better.
Dr. Dominguez Bali does recommend it. However, he says each case is different and you should speak with your doctor for the best option.