EPISODE LINK:
Episode Summary
Dr. Heather Hirsch is an expert in women’s health, including menopausal hormone therapy, gynecology, breast health, and more. In today’s episode, we sat down with Dr. Hirsch to discuss her book, Unlock Your Menopause Type, the six types of menopause, creating a menopause survival plan, and Dr. Hirsch’s thoughts on the current availability of menopause treatments for women.
First, we asked Dr. Hirsch about her new book, Unlock Your Menopause Type. From the very beginning, the book not only defines menopause in a clear-cut, easily understandable way, but also debunks some common menopause myths. Dr. Hirsch explained how she decided to start her book by defining menopause after multiple conversations she’d had with both clients and medical students. She found that when it comes to the definition of menopause and basic understandings of how our body changes, the information tends to be muddled. Having the ability to take research and explain it in a way that makes sense, she was determined to use her novel as a way to help push past misinformation and offer readers a better, more understandable perspective. By debunking menopause myths as well, Dr. Hirsch is also helping women just starting their menopause journey go into it with more information and more confidence.
Unlock Your Menopause Type names six different types of menopause: the premature menopause type, the sudden menopause type, the full throttle menopause type, the mind-altering menopause type, the seemingly never-ending menopause type, and the silent menopause type. Dr. Hirsch first spoke to us about the premature menopause type and just how rare it is. This type applies to women under the age of 45 who start going through menopause early. Premature menopause is a different experience that menopause both physiologically and psychologically. Because literature and science on menopause is often applied to women over 50, premature menopausal women have less resources to lean on. From a social perspective, premature menopausal women also tend to struggle with seeing their peers giving birth or breastfeeding while their own bodies are going through such different changes in menopause. The main treatment for this menopause type is HRTs, for without it, women are at increased risk for infection. However, HRTs often cannot be used for women who fall into the sudden menopause type. The sudden menopause type is for women undergoing chemotherapy, pelvic radiation, and other treatments that thrust their bodies into menopause. Unlike other menopause types, sudden menopause does not include symptoms of perimenopause. The women are given no warning before their bodies begin changing and going through menopause. While their bodies may not be able to handle HRTs, there are other forms of treatment to help with symptoms. Women going into procedures where they know sudden menopause may occur can even make a plan of action beforehand so that they go into it feeling more prepared.
For women in the full throttle menopause type, they are hit with multiple symptoms all at once. From insomnia to hot flashes, to vaginal dryness and mood swings, this type has women feeling every bodily change that occurs to its fullest. HRTs do tend to help and are often the recommended form of treatment. The next type, the mind-alerting menopause type, focuses on how a menopausal woman is affected psychologically. These women can experience intense brain fog, mood shifts, memory struggles, and trouble focusing. Brain fog is a common experience amongst menopausal women, and according to guidelines, SSRIs and SNRIs are used for treatment first before HRTs are. The meds are meant to help with any symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and ideations, and mood swings. However, Dr. Hirsch told us that she bases treatment on what specifically her client needs. She’ll often use HRTs first, and if a person still needs help, she’ll then suggest starting on a low dose of an SSRI or SNRI and continue treatment from there. The seemingly never-ending menopause type is for women who are still experiencing menopause symptoms years after going through menopause. Dr. Hirsch has seen clients with this type who have gone through menopause 5-15 years ago and are still suffering with symptoms. These women have often been ignored or pushed aside by healthcare, leaving them to struggle in silence without knowledge of how to properly get treatment. The last menopause type, the silent menopause type, is almost as rare as the sudden menopause type. Women in the silent menopause type go through menopause without feeling any of the changes to their body. However, just because they aren’t feeling them doesn’t mean the changes aren’t happening. Even without symptoms, the brain, bones, and other parts of the body will still go through menopause. These women also may feel less prone to regular screenings and doctor’s appointments, for they don’t physically feel any discomfort. Regardless, it’s vital that women take care of their bodies and see their doctors regularly.
Along with defining menopause and its types, Unlock Your Menopause Type also includes a menopause survival plan. The idea for this book section came from a real plan Dr. Hirsch uses with her own clients. Rather than facing every single menopause symptom at once, she has her patients check off the ones that are causing them the most stress and discomfort. By zeroing in on the most important symptoms, it’s easier to digest the information and focus on treatments that specifically target them. Once one or more of the symptoms eases, patients can then move on to another, and so on. Dr. Hirsch also helps her patients make a plan for visiting doctors and making appointments to help take care of their bodies. Finally, we asked Dr. Hirsch for her thoughts on the current state of menopause treatments in our society. She told us that she’s thrilled to see so many new treatments coming out, but for her, it’s most important that menopause treatments are FDA approved and affordable to the public.
Dr. Heather Hirsch
Dr. Hirsch is a certified internist practicing private telemedicine at Heather Hirsch MD, PLLC, and helps women experiencing symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause go from feeling confused, symptomatic and stuck with their doctors to becoming symptom-free, educated and empowered so their can thrive again in mid-life. After completing residency at Case Western Reserve University Hospital, she began a two-year clinical women’s health specialty fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Her Training focused on menopausal hormonal therapy consultations, abnormal uterine bleeding, osteoporosis, breast health, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, endocrinology, preventive cardiology, and general office-based gynecology.
In this episode, we discuss…
- [0:01] Introduction
- [0:30] Guest Introduction
- [4:07] Start of Interview
- [7:47] Menopause and Menopause Myths
- [11:17] The Premature Menopause Type
- [14:5] The Sudden Menopause Type
- [19:39] The Full Throttle Menopause Type
- [22:37] The Mind-Alerting Menopause Type
- [29:21] The Seemingly Never-Ending Type
- [34:38] The Silent Menopause Type
- [37:09] Menopause Survival Plan
- [39:48] The Availability of Menopause Treatments for Women
- [43:30] Closing Thoughts
- [43:56] Outro
Useful Resources:
Heather’s Website I [https://www.heatherhirschmd.com/]
Heather’s LinkedIn I [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hirsch-md-ms-ncmp-161556168/]
Heather’s Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/heatherhirschmd/]
Heather’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/heatherhirschmd/?hl=en]
Heather’s Twitter I [https://twitter.com/heatherhirschmd]
Heather’s YouTube Channel I
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrAeWep_qZiP7QeR7ogcCPA]
Heather’s Podcast
Health By Heather Hirsch I [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/health-by-heather-
Heather’s Book
Unlock Your Menopause Type I [https://www.amazon.com/Unlock-Your-Menopause-Type-
Can’t Get Enough? Find Us Here!
Website I [http://hotflashescooltopics.com/]
Mail I [[email protected]]
Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/hotflashesandcooltopics/]
Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/hotflashescooltopics]
Twitter I [https://twitter.com/CoolFlashes]
YouTube I [https://www.youtube.com/@HotFlashesCoolTopics]
Pinterest I [https://www.pinterest.com/hcooltopics/]
Want to Leave a Review for Hot Flashes and Cool Topics? Here’s How:
For Apple Podcasts on an iPhone or iOS device:
- Open the Apple Podcast App on your device.
- Click on the “search” icon
- Type into the search bar “Hot Flashes and Cool Topics” and click on the show
- Towards the bottom, look for “Ratings and Reviews”
- Click on “Write a Review” and leave us your thoughts and comments!
For Apple Podcasts on a computer:
- On the Apple Podcasts website, go to the search bar and type “Hot Flashes and Cool Topics”
- After clicking on the show, find the “Listen on Apple Podcasts” button and click on it
- The “Hot Flashes and Cool Topics” podcast should open on the Apple Podcasts application
- Keep scrolling on the page until you see “Ratings and Reviews”
- Click on “See All”
- If you want to give us a five-star rating, hover over the empty stars!
- If you want to leave your thoughts and comments, click on “Write a Review”!