Menopause
There are many names for the age of menopause, including the age of menopause, the age of safety, the age of perception, the age of menopause and the menopause.
Each of these names has medical, linguistic and social backgrounds. While the name used in the past was the age of menopause, some discontent appeared due to its negative connotation towards a normal stage of the woman’s life cycle. Names were developed, including the age of safety (safety from the possibility of pregnancy). Professional name the age of menopause or the age of Aldahi.
Menopause and fertility
It is a natural biological process, not a disease. The physical and psychological symptoms of menopause can cause sleep disturbance and an increase in fatigue and lack of energy, feeling sadness and loss.
Hormonal changes that occur are the cause of the physical symptoms that appear due to menopause, contrary to the misconceptions that changes due to menopause are due, in part, to psychological changes.
Misconceptions about menopause
Menopause does not mean the end of life is near, as half of life is still ahead of you
Menopause does not destroy femininity and sexuality. In fact, we find that many women see menopause as an opportunity to be free from the anxiety of pregnancy and menstruation
Menopause is not a disease, but when the symptoms are severe, it is preferable to go for advice and receive treatment. There are many types of treatments, from lifestyle adjustments to hormonal treatments.
Symptoms of menopause
It is known that menopause comes a year after the last menstruation. In the United States the average menopause is around 51 years old, but menopause signs and symptoms often appear a year before the last menstruation and include:
Irregularity in the menstrual cycle
Decreased fertility
Vaginal dryness
Heat flashes
insomnia
Mood swings
Abdominal weight gain
Increased hair loss
Breast shrinkage
Causes and risk factors of menopause
Normally, menopause begins when the ovaries begin to produce less of the hormones estrogen (estrogen) and progesterone (progesterone) that regulate the menstrual cycle.
The first stages begin
From the menopause process in the late thirty years. At this stage, fewer healthy eggs are produced each month and it is also difficult to determine when ovulation will occur. In addition, the sharp and sudden rise in the level of the hormone progesterone after ovulation, which prepares the body for pregnancy, becomes less.
Fertility
It decreases due to hormonal changes. These changes are most evident in their forties. The duration of menstruation can be lengthened or shortened, be severe or light, or with greater or lesser frequency. In the end, the ovaries close and menstruation ends. In some rare cases, a period may appear every month, until the last period. But most likely the menopause occurs gradually.
How does ovulation happen
Unfortunately, there is no way to know which period will be the last. Only 12 months after the last period can it be realized with certainty. It should be noted that in the last months before menopause, pregnancy can occur, but this possibility is small.
Since this process takes many years, the menopause is divided into two phases:
The period before menopause.
At this stage, menopause symptoms begin to be felt, even though the menstrual cycle has not yet stopped. The level of hormones rises or falls unevenly, and heat flashes and other symptoms may appear. This stage can last from four to five years or more.
Postmenopausal period. 12 months after the last menstruation, the so-called menopause begins. The ovaries begin to produce less of the hormone estrogen, and they stop producing the hormone progesterone absolutely, and no eggs are released from them. The years that follow are called postmenopausal.
In general, menopause is a normal course in life, but some procedures, such as a type of surgery, for example, or certain treatments or certain medical problems, can accelerate menopause and menopause. These cases include:
Hysterectomy:
In general, with a hysterectomy without the ovaries, menstruation does not stop. Although menstruation does not appear, the ovaries continue to produce eggs and produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. But when the uterus and ovaries are removed, the menstrual cycle stops, and there is no pre-menopause (Perimenopause). Menstruation stops immediately, and most likely the patient has heat flushes, and other symptoms of menopause also appear.
Chemotherapy and radiation:
These treatment methods (chemotherapy and radiation) in cancer patients may lead to menopause and the appearance of symptoms such as heat flashes for the duration of the treatment period, or up to 3-6 months after the end of treatment.
Early cessation of ovarian function. In 1% of women, menstruation stops before the age of forty. Menopause is sometimes the result of premature stopping of the ovaries from functioning. Stopping the ovaries before the age of forty is due to genetic causes or autoimmune diseases, but sometimes the reason may not be known.
Complications of menopause
After menstruation stops and menopause passes, some chronic diseases may appear. Knowing these diseases may help prevent them and reduce the risk of catching them:
Cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the cardiovascular system):
When the estrogen level is low, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Heart disease in men and women is the primary cause of death. However, the risk of heart disease can be significantly reduced. Steps that help reduce the risk include quitting smoking, lowering high blood pressure, exercising regularly, and eating a diet rich in grains, fruits and vegetables.
Osteoporosis:
During the first years after menopause, a decrease in bone density is likely, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis leads to thinning of the bones and a higher risk of fractures. In women, in the post-menopausal period, there is a risk of fractures of the pelvis, wrist and spine.
Therefore, it is necessary during this period to maintain the level of calcium and vitamin D, so that it ranges between 1200 and 1500 mg calcium and 800 units of vitamin D per day. It is also important to exercise regularly, as body strengthening exercises, which include exertion, walking and running, are especially useful for maintaining strong bones.
Urinary Incontinence:
Because the vagina and uterus lose their elasticity, a sudden and frequent need to urinate may occur, accompanied by incontinence, or urinary incontinence while coughing, laughing or lifting something (loss of urine control while exerting an effort).
Obesity:
Many women become obese during menopause. Sometimes, in order to maintain a normal weight, you should reduce your caloric intake from 200-400 calories per day and increase exercise.
Diagnosis of menopause
In some circumstances, the doctor may ask the patient to take a blood test to check the level of the ovarian stimulating hormone (FSH), and to check the level of the estrogen hormone. At menopause, the level of the ovarian stimulating hormone (FSH) rises and the level of the hormone estradiol decreases. The doctor may also request a blood test to check the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), because a decrease in the functioning of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) would cause symptoms similar to those of menopause.
Treatment of menopause
Menopause by itself does not require any medical treatment. Treatments depend on alleviating accompanying symptoms and preventing or alleviating chronic diseases that may occur with age.
Treatments for menopause include:
Hormone therapy. Taking estrogen is the most effective treatment for relieving hot flashes.
Low doses of anti-depressant drugs.
Gabapentin is used primarily as an anticonvulsant and has proven effective in treating some cases of heat flash.
Clonidine (Catapres) and others
Bisphosphonates - to prevent osteoporosis
Hormone-modulators such as estrogen receptor antagonists (SERMs). A group of drugs that includes Raloxifene (Avista).
Vaginal estrogen. To relieve vaginal dryness, estrogens can be used locally in the form of vaginal tablets, tablets or ointment.
Alternative treatments
There are many ways to relieve menopause symptoms. Here are some alternative and complementary therapies that have been previously researched or are currently being researched: Feto-estrogen: These are the estrogen hormones that are naturally present in some foods.
There are two main types of phytoestrogen - isoflavone and lignans. And isoflavones found in soybeans, chickpeas and other legumes. Lignans are found in linseeds, grains, and some fruits and vegetables.
Researchers' interest in phyto-estrogen began to increase when they observed that women in Japan and China, who ate foods rich in isoflavones, had fewer symptoms of menopause and suffered less from heart disease and osteoporosis, compared to women in the West.
It is not yet clear whether the estrogen in foods can relieve heat flashes and menopausal symptoms. Most studies show that it is not effective. Isoflavones have little effect on the body, similar to the effect of the hormone estrogen, so there is concern that they may increase the risk of cancer. We recommend that women with breast cancer consult a doctor before using isoflavones as a dietary supplement. Experts prefer foods containing soy and isoflavins as healthy and safe foods, provided they are consumed in moderation.
Summary of the topic, Feto-Estroge: It is an estrogenic drug and there is no evidence that taking an effective therapeutic dose will not cause the same known side effects as the use of estrogen-containing medications.
Vitamin E: May relieve mild hot flashes in some women. However, scientific studies have failed to prove its effectiveness in alleviating heat flashes in general.
Black cohosh: It is widely used in Europe to treat heat flashes, and it is commonly used in the United States among women with menopausal symptoms. They are safe to use, but there is no proven evidence that they are effective in relieving menopausal symptoms
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