What you need to know about MENOPAUSE - What is menopause?
Menopause is a natural process. Menopause,is the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is neither a disease nor an illness. It is a transition between two phases of a woman’s life. It is defined as stoppage of menstruation for twelve consecutive months. Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55yrs. It starts as the functioning of the ovaries begin to decline
Menopause is the end of the reproductive years , and thus it is the opposite of menarche, nonetheless it can usefully be compared with that event: the menopause transition years are in many ways similar to puberty in that women experience hormonal fluctuations which usher in a new stage of life.
Similar to pubescent girls, menopausal women are often unfamiliar or uneducated about the types of bodily changes they are undergoing, and may require time to adjust to the accompanying effects of these changes
Once menopause is complete (called postmenopause) and you have not had a period for 1 year, you can no longer become pregnant.
Cause
At the time of menopause, The level of hormones in female body i.e. estrogen and progesterone, begin to decline, due to reduced ovarian function. Because hormone levels fall, changes occur in the entire female reproductive system
Surgical menopause: Surgical menopause is menopause induced by the removal of the ovaries (and uterus). Women who have had surgical menopause often have a sudden and severe onset of the symptoms of menopause
Symptoms -
Common symptoms of menopause include:
Heart pounding or racing
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Skin flushing
Sleeping problems (insomnia)
Other symptoms
Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
Forgetfulness (in some women)
Irregular and delayed menstrual periods
Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
Spotting of blood in between periods
Urine leakage
Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
Vaginal infections
Weight gain
Body odour
Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head
Tingling in the extremities
Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, ‘whooshing’ buzzing.
Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor
Investigations
Pelvic ultrasonography
Blood test
FSH
LH
ESTRADIOL
BONE DENSITY TEST for osteoporosis
Treatment
Menopause itself requires no medical treatment. Instead, treatments focuses on relieving your signs and symptoms and on preventing or lessening chronic conditions that may occur with aging. Treatments include-
Hormone therapy
Treatment with hormones (HRT) may be useful for severe symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness.
Guidelines for hormone replacement therapy(HRT)
HRT may be started in women who have recently entered menopause.
HRT should not be used in women who have started menopause many years ago.
The medicine should not be used for longer than 5 to 7 years.
Women taking HRT should have a high risk for stroke, heart disease, blood clots or breast cancer.
Low-dose antidepressants. Venlafaxine (Effexor), an antidepressant related to the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been shown to decrease menopausal hot flashes. Other SSRIs can be helpful, including fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil, others), citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft).
Gabapentin it also has been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes
Bisphosphonates. Doctors may recommend these nonhormonal medications, which include alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel) and ibandronate (Boniva), to prevent or treat osteoporosis
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). SERMs are a group of drugs that includes raloxifene. It mimics estrogen’s beneficial effects on bone density in postmenopausal women, without some of the risks associated with estrogen.
Vaginal estrogen. To relieve vaginal dryness, estrogen can be administered locally using a vaginal tablet, ring or cream. This treatment releases just a small amount of estrogen, which is absorbed by the vaginal tissue. It can help relieve vaginal dryness, discomfort with intercourse and some urinary symptoms
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
The good news is that you can take many steps to reduce your symptoms without taking hormones:
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods
Dress lightly and in layers
Eat soy foods
Get plenty of exercise
Perform Kegel exercises(Pelvic floor muscle exercises) daily to strengthen the muscles of your vagina and pelvis
Practice slow, deep breathing whenever a hot flash starts to come on (try taking six breaths per minute)
Remain sexually active
See an acupuncture specialist
Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation
Use water-based lubricants during sexual intercourse
Non-traditional forms of treatment include aromatherapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicines (such as ginseng, evening primrose oil, red raspberry leaf tea, dong quai and black cohosh), and massage.
Schedule regular checkups. Talk with your doctor about how often you should have mammograms, Pap tests, lipid level (cholesterol and triglyceride) testing and other screening tests.
