102 - Decoding Hormone Testing: Testosterone Levels for Women: Myths Versus Science Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Release Date: 08/15/2025
120 - Estrogen’s Role in Urinary Health for Aging Women: An Eye-Opening Discussion, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we are continuing our conversation on women’s urinary health and the issues that arise during and after menopause such as loss of elasticity, vaginal discomfort, and urinary incontinence. These changes are all related to the loss of estrogen over time. Other conditions can impact estrogen production too, for example PCOS, certain medications, and eating disorders. Understanding the core issue of estrogen loss, regardless of the woman’s age, is extremely important. Estrogen therapy can make a significant difference for women struggling with urinary issues. Estrogen promotes healthy...
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119 - Estrogen’s Role in Urinary Health for Aging Women: An Eye-Opening Discussion, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
In today’s episode I’m talking about urinary health and the problems that can arise during and after menopause. These urinary problems can become an ongoing or worsening problem as time goes on. So what’s happening to the urinary tract as we age? The problems start in perimenopause, primarily beginning with an increase in urgency. Sometimes this change is subtle; an increase in getting up during the night to empty your bladder. It’s disturbing to your sleep, but it may not necessarily stand out at first. Increased urgency, frequency, and discomfort can also be a typical presentation...
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118 - Painful Sex: The Story of Lichen Sclerosus, a Shockingly Under-Diagnosed Post-Menopause Skin Condition, Part 3
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
This week, let’s wrap up our series on lichen sclerosus by discussing more of the therapies available for treatment. If diagnosed and treated early, the condition can be greatly improved—especially if you’re using a hormone replacement therapy approach that’s been optimized. Aside from steroid medication, tacrolimus, estrogen therapy, and testosterone therapy (which were all options discussed in a previous episode), there are other treatment options like platelet-rich plasma, which can be injected to improve vaginal and sexual wellness. PRP is gaining in popularity because it’s...
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117 - Painful Sex: The Story of Lichen Sclerosus, a Shockingly Under-Diagnosed Post-Menopause Skin Condition, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Let’s continue our conversation about lichen sclerosus, specifically focusing on treatment options this time. The treatments and therapies I’m discussing in this episode can actually be quite useful for many vaginal conditions and are something all women should know about. The first line of approved care for lichen sclerosus is a local application of a steroid medication, usually in an ointment form. Prolonged use of a steroid medication can lead to thinning of the skin, but it is particularly useful for women dealing with significant itching and plaque formation. Keep in mind that...
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116 - Painful Sex: The Story of Lichen Sclerosus, a Shockingly Under-Diagnosed Post-Menopause Skin Condition, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Let’s talk about a surprisingly common skin condition that impacts women after menopause: Lichen sclerosus. It’s a chronic inflammation of the skin which creates a pathological change at the vaginal entrance. These skin changes are often underdiagnosed and even misdiagnosed, sometimes even for years. This debilitating skin condition can cause persistent and uncomfortable itching, white patches on the skin, and may also result in thinning of the skin. It can cause a disappearance of sensitive skin areas where certain tissue areas fuse. The skin can also crack, resulting in irritation and...
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115 - Holistic Non-Hormonal Approaches to Menopausal Urinary and Vaginal Health, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re continuing our conversation about natural solutions for vaginal wellness after menopause. There are various issues that can arise after menopause due to a drop in estrogen, and vaginal lubrication is one of the main ones that women seek to address. The tissues in the vaginal canal and opening are very sensitive, and after menopause, the area can be dry and the skin begins thinning. One of my favorite solutions is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)—a hormone typically made by the adrenal gland but that can also be obtained through supplementation. For purposes of vaginal wellness,...
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114 - Holistic Non-Hormonal Approaches to Menopausal Urinary and Vaginal Health, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
There has been very little research done in the area of urinary and vaginal wellness for menopausal and perimenopausal women, despite the number of women experiencing these issues increasing. This week, I’m starting a series of episodes about non-hormonal options available to women to overcome these concerns. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) tend to increase as women age, and staying hydrated is one thing that can help flush bacteria from the bladder wall, reducing the instance of infection. Cranberry juice can also protect the bladder from bacteria, but it has to be unsweetened (or you can...
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113 - Restoring Comfort and Confidence in Menopause with Vaginal Estrogen, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
We’re getting intro part 2 of our conversation about vaginal estrogen and its usefulness for treating GSM (genital urinary syndrome of menopause) symptoms in this episode. Last time, we began discussing the importance of timing for hormone replacement therapy, including estrogen therapy. When you act early—before your symptoms get worse—it can make a big difference. The vaginal walls and vaginal lining will lose lubrication and architectural support over time without estrogen. This is also called vaginal atrophy. The loss of moisture, which is the main symptom, is directly linked to a...
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112 - Restoring Comfort and Confidence in Menopause with Vaginal Estrogen, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re talking about GSM: genitourinary syndrome of menopause. This new term encompasses the vaginal and urinary changes that happen during menopause. These changes don’t just impact women during menopause—they have long-lasting implications post-menopause as well. Some of these changes include increased urinary frequency and urgency, plus recurrent vaginal infections. Menopausal women may also experience urinary tract infections differently: they aren’t as painful. While this could be seen as a positive, it also makes it much more difficult to identify when the woman is...
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111 - Understanding Hormone Therapy Timing: The Secret to Post-Menopausal Optimal Health
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Get ready to learn all about the timing for estrogen therapy and exactly when you should start hormone therapy for menopause. Timing is crucial because many women don’t know when the best time to use it is, often realized when there have been irreversible changes and it’s too late to undo them. Previous studies done on estrogen have scared women away from taking advantage of its benefits as a therapy earlier on. Yet, one of the main studies that led to widespread misinformation used oral synthetic estrogens. Keep in mind this hormone was one of the main ones available at the time. As...
info_outlineThis episode is for all the women who have left the doctor disappointed—turned away and told their hormone levels were fine even when they didn’t feel right. Hormone level testing isn’t given much thought by the majority of medical professionals, yet it’s crucial to providing adequate patient health.
Right now, there is a complete lack of standardization in this area. A part of this is due to the fact that hormones impact men and women differently, and we don’t know how introductions of hormones will impact any specific individual. There is also a difference between testing for normal levels of hormones and optimal levels.
Ranges for hormones like progesterone and estrogen can also vary in women depending on their age. The time of the day in which hormones are tested can also change the interpretation of the results.
How much testosterone should a woman have, regardless of age? The normal range is considered 2 units above zero. While this is considered “normal,” in reality this is quite low. It’s important for energy and mood, and no other hormone has the capacity to stimulate muscle formation and muscle repair. Given how it impacts women’s health, it’s clear to see how accepting low levels as normal in testing can impact a woman’s health greatly.
I believe that the key to helping patients maintain optimal hormone levels is to establish a baseline early on. Man or woman, the patient should be tested when they are at their peak health level. No one goes to the doctor when they feel great, and therefore they aren’t getting tested when they’re feeling their best, but you may want to advocate for this if you’re looking forward to how you’ll feel down the road.
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