When a woman’s menstrual periods stop for good, she enters the menopausal stage. Often called the “transition of life,” a woman can no longer have children during this time. Many healthcare professionals refer to the moment when a woman’s hormone levels start to change as menopause. When a woman hasn’t had a period for a whole year, menopause is thought to be over.
Perimenopause is a term used frequently to describe the time just before menopause. During this transitional period before menopause, the number of mature eggs in a woman’s ovaries decreases, and ovulation becomes inconsistent. Both progesterone and estrogen production is declining at the same time. A significant drop in estrogen levels causes most menopausal symptoms.
Ask your Obstetrician And Gynecologist for all your health query, medical advice and opinion.
When does menopause occur?
Even though menopause often occurs at age 51, it can also occur earlier or later, between the thirties and mid-fifties—those who smoke and are underweight frequently experience menopause earlier than women who are overweight. A woman typically experiences menopause at about the same age as her mother.
Menopause can also happen for reasons other than natural reasons. These include
- Menopause too soon. When ovarian failure occurs before age 40, premature menopause may result. Smoking, radiation exposure, chemotherapy medicines, or surgery that affects the ovarian blood supply may be linked. Primary ovarian insufficiency is another name for premature ovarian failure.
- Menopause after surgery. Following the removal of one or both ovaries or the radiation of the pelvis, which includes the ovaries, in premenopausal women, surgical menopause may occur. This causes premature menopause. Compared to women who experience menopause naturally, these women frequently experience more severe menopausal symptoms.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
The majority of women experience these menopausal symptoms. However, each woman may have a unique set of symptoms. While others have more frequent and stressful symptoms, some experience fewer, less severe symptoms. Menopause symptoms and indications might include
Hot flashes
Menopause’s most prevalent symptom is hot flashes. 75% of women experience rapid, short temperature spikes. Hot flashes usually begin before the last menstruation. For 80% of women, hot flashes last no more than two years. However, women have experienced hot flashes for more than two years. These flashes seem related to low estrogen. Each woman has a different hot flash frequency and intensity. Hot flashes raise a woman’s skin temperature and pulse rate. As the body cools down, sweat occurs. Heart palpitations and disorientation may also occur.
Mental health
Despite the widespread belief that menopause may hurt mental health, numerous studies have found no difference in stress, anxiety, depression, or other unpleasant emotions among menopausal women and women of the same age who are still menstruating. Fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and anxiousness are psychological and emotional symptoms caused by estrogen deficiency, aging-related stress, or a woman’s shifting roles.
Vaginal atrophy
The drying and weakening of the vaginal and urethral tissues is known as vaginal atrophy. It can result in vaginitis, cystitis, urinary tract infections, and pain during sex.
Hair growth
As hormone levels change, some women may notice that their hair is getting thinner or that they have more facial hair.
Treatment for menopause
Hormone therapy uses a combination of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen during perimenopause and menopause. The most frequent way to prescribe HT is as pills. However, estrogen can also be administered through vaginal lotions and skin patches.
Always discuss with your Obstetrician And Gynecologist regarding the benefits and drawbacks of a treatment.
Do not treat yourself, always consult with your OBGY.
Estrogen therapy: When the body no longer produces estrogen, estrogen treatment (ET) consists of taking estrogen on its own. Women who have undergone a hysterectomy frequently receive an order for ET. Skin patches, vaginal creams, and tablet forms of estrogen are all recommended. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages with your healthcare provider, you should begin using this hormone.
Non-hormonal treatment: For this type of treatment, other medicines are often used to help with some of the symptoms of menopause.
Estrogen alternatives: The so-called “synthetic estrogens,” such as ospemifene, are estrogen substitutes that improve vaginal atrophy symptoms without increasing the risk of endometrial cancer.
Alternative therapies: Bioidentical hormones, often known as homeopathic and herbal remedies, may relieve some menopause symptoms. Potency, safety, purity, and effectiveness are issues, though.
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