Understanding menopause, symptoms and signs, relief, treatment and recommendations

Menopause is just another stage of life, there is nothing to fear about. Hopefully you pass it through as happy as any other stage.

The definition for this stage is: The transition moment when the ovaries stop releasing ovules and the menstrual activity is reduced, to cease with time. On this stage feminine hormones production called: estrogens and progesterone are going to decreases. The timing when this happens varies, but it starts around 50 years old.

Most common symptoms

Not all symptoms occur in every woman, but it's good to know which are the most common to identify them.

+ Hot flashes (characterized by heat, sweating with duration at intervals of 3 to 5 minutes), which occurs mainly at the level of the head and neck and they occur at approximately 75% of women.

+ Insomnia.

+ Paresthesias.

+ Palpitations.

+ Cold hands and feet.

+ Headaches.

+ Vertigo.

+ Anxiety.

+ Irritability.

+ Nervousness.

+ Depression.

+ Fatigue.

+ Memory loss.

+ Inability to concentrate.

+ Weight gain.

I know what you're thinking now... What if some or all of them happen to you!!! Well, keep on reading because I'll tell you about it.

How to know when you're entering to menopause

It is important that you become an active observer of what happens on your body, things like the following:

+ If your menstruation doesn't appear for more than 6 months, check out.

+ Changes in your arterial pressure.

+ Changes in your cholesterol levels.

+ Changes in your breasts.

+ Your doctor will search for thinning of the vulvar skin, vaginal epithelium, labia minora, clitoris, endometrium and ovary during the periodical consultations.

The peri-menopause period.

Hormonal changes produce:

+ Shorter menstrual cycles.

+ Elevation of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).

+ Lower levels of Estradiol and Progesterone Hormones.

The post-menopause period.

Hormonal changes occur as follows:

+ Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating (FSH) levels are high in the blood stream.

+ Estrogens levels are lower.

+ Androgens also diminish a little.

So... What is this information for?? Well, because according to this hormones a more accurate diagnosis will be held and the endocrine system's function will be checked periodically.

About post menopause stage of life

Types

There are different types of Menopause:

Natural.

It happens around 50-51 years old.

The follicles are older, FSH and LH are in low levels too and progesterone as well, this are the reasons for less and shorter ovulations.

When the follicle doesn't respond any more, the estrogens, the progesterone, the androgens and the testosterone decrease.

Premature.

It occurs around 40 years old.

It may be produced by an insufficiency at the ovaries due to an unknown cause.

Smoking can trigger this type of menopause.

There are other factors associated like: radiations, medications, chemotherapy, surgeries that change the blood flow to the ovaries, etc.

Artificial.

It is caused after ovaries surgery or a pelvis irradiation (which includes the ovaries).

In young patients the diagnosis of this artificial menopause is based on the elevation of FSH and when thyroid problems or Diabetes Mellitus have been discarded.

During menopause, the variation on the hormone levels and depending on how your habits were in the past years, you may meet or not some of the following risks:

+ A higher risk of osteoporosis. Statistics say that 25% of women have this silent disease.

Bone mass loss is about 1-2% / year after this stage.

The risk is particularly noticed in: Vertebrae, Hip and Hand Wrists.

+ A higher cholesterol level is associated with heart diseases.

+ If you still have uterine and decide to take estrogens, you should also take progesterone to prevent cancer of the uterine, but if you don't have this structure any more, progesterone is not needed.

Treatment

Hormonal Therapy.

+ There are risks associated with the development of breast cancer, heart disease, brain stroke or blood clots.

+ This therapy is given to try to lower the symptoms.

+ It can only be given to women at the entrance of this stage, it must not be given to women that have come to this stage years ago.

+ The medication must not prescribed for more than 5-7 years.

+ Women that are under this type of therapy must have a low risk for brain stroke, heart disease, blood clotting or breast cancer.

+ To reduce the risk of hormonal therapy the treatment must be with estrogens / progesterone (as said before on the text), but avoiding progestin.

+ A pill with small dose of estrogen is best, or hormones given in a different pharmaceutical form (for example as vaginal cream).

+ It is important to have frequent pelvic examinations and vaginal cytology to detect any possible problem.

+ It is also good to have regular physical examination including breast testing.

Other type of therapies.

A doctor must evaluate the risk and/or benefits of other therapies, some of the alternatives involve the use of:

+ Sedative hypnotics (barbiturates and benzodiazepines).

+ Progestins (medroxyprogesterone acetate, megestrol acetate and clonidine).

+ Estrogens for vaginal problems or urinary tract.

Contraindications to the treatment with estrogens during menopause.

+ Having an antecedent of endometrial neoplasia.

+ Having breast dependent of estrogens.

+ A history of thromboembolism or thrombophlebitis.

+ Current presence or previous presence of liver disease.

Recommendations

There are many ways to back up from osteoporosis, most of the things to be done have to take place during the earlier stages of life in order to prevent the problem.

If you already have osteoporosis then, you still can stop or lower the advance of the illness. It is important to get committed to a new lifestyle in order to achieve a better quality of life for this, or the further stages.

A new lifestyle for a menopause with quality.

+ Estrogen restitution (there are natural, health and safe ways to do it, for example with good quality nutritional supplements, many of them with phytoestrogens).

+ Have an adequate and balanced nutrition that includes foods high in calcium and other important nutrients.

+ Adequate supplementation: Calcium (1000 mg/day at least during premenopausal stage and 1,500 mg/day during postmenopausal period. Vitamin D3 (1,200 UI/ day) and magnesium are also key nutrients.

+ Exercise.

+ Expose moderately to the sun rays.

+ Avoid alcohol, coffee or soft drinks as much as possible.

+ Don't eat spicy foods.

+ Perform Kegel exercises daily to strengthen the vaginal muscles and the pelvic muscles.

+ Treatments with medications like: Sodium fluoride, calcitriol, calcitonin, anabolic steroids, androgenic weak formulations, thiazides, diphosphonates, parathyroid hormone. To know about them, the risks and benefits, ask your physician.

+ Try to stay sexually active.

+ Use vaginal water base lubricants if needed during sexual intercourse.

+ Try relaxing techniques like yoga, tai chi or meditation.

+ Wear comfortable clothes.

+ Practice slow and deep breathings when you're passing through a hot flash. (Take at least 6 deep breathings in 1 minute).

Learn how to breath and enjoy the benefits.

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