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Menopause is not a disease that needs to be
cured, but a natural life-stage transition. Menopause is an irreversible process
and inseparable of the aging in a woman's reproductive system, after which she
can no longer
menstruate. Menopause is defined as the
cessation of
menstruation as a result of the normal decline
in ovarian function. Technically, you enter menopause following 12 consecutive
months without a period.
Menopause has become increasingly medicalized,
which means it is viewed as something that requires intervention and treatment
rather than as a natural life transition that may benefit from support.
Menopause signals the end of fertility and the
beginning of a new and potentially rewarding time in a woman's life.
Menopause is also known as 'the change of life'
and scientifically referred to as Climacteric. The term menopause means the
cessation of menstruation (“last
menstruation”). However, it is commonly used to refer to the period in a woman's
life when she passes out of her reproductive years.
Menopause usually begins between the ages of 45
and 50 as the ovaries gradually cease to function. The number of follicles in
the ovaries decreases. Production of the
female sex hormones diminishes. The phase of
fertility ends with the last menstruation which usually occurs around the age of
52. The symptoms can be attributed by the facts that some women just stop having
periods. Others go through several years of symptoms. The most common symptom of
menopause is hot flashes. Other physical symptoms might be aching joints and
muscles, fatigue, weight gain or skin changes. Blood tests can confirm
menopausal status.
Menopause typically occurs in three stages. These three stages can span a time
period of up to 15 years:
Perimenopause
Beginning 8 to 10 years before
menopause and affecting women in their forties
and occasionally, women in their thirties, perimenopause lasts up until
menopause.
Perimenopause typically lasts about four years
and ends the first year after menopause. The ovaries gradually produce less
estrogen with the decrease in estrogen accelerating in the final one or two
years before menopause. Irregular periods are common during perimenopause,
although other conditions such as hormonal imbalances, birth control pills,
pregnancy, fibroids, and cancer can cause abnormalities in
menstrual bleeding.
Menopause
Menopause is the point at which a woman has her last menstrual period.
Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has gone 12
consecutive months without a menstrual period. At this stage, ovaries no longer
produce eggs as hormone production stops, and common changes become noticeable -
including
vaginal dryness and
loss of sex drive.
Post-menopause
Post-menopause refers to the years after menopause. During
post-menopause, most women experience a
decrease in their menopausal symptoms, although health risks linked to decreased
estrogen for e.g. heart disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer
increase as a woman ages. A woman is said to be post-menopausal when she has not
had a
menstrual period for an entire year; the
possibility of
pregnancy disappears.
About 75% of women report
some troublesome
symptoms during menopause, but the severity and
frequency of symptoms varies from woman to woman. Similarly the duration and
severity of symptoms is variable. The
major symptoms of menopause are
Hot flashes or flush
The most common and easy to recognize
symptom of menopause is
hot flashes. Hot flashes or flush is an
uncomfortable warm feeling, particularly in the upper body. Hot flashes are
commonly triggered by stress, being too hot, or consumption of spicy foods, hot
drinks or alcohol.
Night sweats
For many women, hot flashes occur during the day; for others, they come
primarily at night, causing a woman to awaken feeling hot and drenched with
perspiration. These are called
night sweats. Because night sweats often
interfere with sleep, women who experience night sweats may become tired and
irritable.
Vaginal changes
The
vagina may become dry and thin, and sex and
vaginal exams may be painful. You also might get more
vaginal infections.
Mood changes
Even though moodiness, irritability, and tearfulness are commonly attributed
to menopause, studies are underway to determine which of these symptoms are
actually due to menopause versus other conditions such as medical
depression.
Other symptoms includes urinary problems, Headaches,
Breast tenderness, Insomnia, Weight gain,
Depression or irritability etc. These symptoms are apparently part of the
Western ageing process for both men and women, so it's important not to blame
every symptom that you experience on the
menopause.
Medical treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed. Most notably,
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has been
used to reduce the weakening of bones (known as osteoporosis). However, some
women have resisted the implication that menopause is a disorder, seeing it as a
natural stage of life; freeing them from
birth control and menstrual periods and leaves
them feeling more empowered and energized than in their younger years
You have to manage your diets and exercise levels reasonable for expecting
better and better results. Significant supplementation with vitamin E has been
known for some time to stave off heart disease in both men and women. Another
wonderful reason for taking vitamin E is that it can end hot flashes in women
going through menopause. There is also a wide range of
natural products of menopause available, that
may helps you to go through
menopause more naturally & comfortably. |
