A Guide to Menopause Treatment
Menopause is a very tough transition time in any woman's life, and during this natural process, ovaries stop making the eggs, the body produces less progesterone and estrogen, and monthly cycles becomes less frequent, ultimately coming to an end. If a woman does not get periods for 12 months in a row, and there is no other medical cause for it such as illness or pregnancy, she has reached menopause.
Menopause usually happens after the age of 45, and it is beneficial to get enough information about it by talking to your doctor regarding symptoms that might be of concern so that you can get the right treatment at the right time. Termination of periods is the only common symptom of menopause, and for each woman, the experience of going through this phase is different.
Some of the most commonly experienced menopausal symptoms include change in the period pattern, vaginal dryness, hair loss, hot flashes, trouble sleeping through the night, trouble focusing, crying spells, flushed complexion, fuzzy thinking, weight gain, diaphoresis, breast tenderness, irritability, and forgetfulness. Certain menopausal symptoms can be treated by using herbal or other plant-based products such as soy in the form of powder or pill, or other sources of phytoestrogens such as black cohosh, dong quai, valelrian root and wild yam.
If used properly, menopausal hormone therapy can be quite useful in relieving the moderate to severe symptoms of menopause and also prevent the bone loss. MHT helps menopausal women by reducing hot flashes and night sweats, treats vaginal symptoms such as dryness and discomfort, increases the level of hormones progesterone and estrogen, eases mood swings and also slows down bone loss, but it may also increase the risk of certain medical conditions such as stroke, breast cancer and heart disease.
Menopause is not a disease and does not require any definitive treatment or cure. Using vitamin E, SSRI drugs, megestrol acetate, and neurontin for hot flashes, vaginal moisturizers, low dose vaginal estrogen ring, water-soluble lubricants and estrogen by mouth for dry vagina and painful intercourse, counseling, estrogen and SSRI drugs for depression and mood swings, and raloxifene, bisphosphonates, vitamin D, calcitonin, estrogen, and tamoxifen for bone loss during menopause have been quite helpful to alleviate the symptoms.
So far, estrogen has been the most effective treatment for hot flashes, but, the risks and benefits associated with this therapy need to be carefully considered. Meditation, massage, relaxation therapy, and acupuncture are few effective alternative therapies that can relieve symptoms of menopause, and for women who cannot take hormonal therapy due to its side-effect, these therapies are life-savers.
Can Obesity Cause Cancer?
Over the last few years, several studies have begun to shed light on the connection between cancer and obesity. For overweight people, the news isn't good. In the U.S., as many as 100,000 cancer cases diagnosed each year could be prevented if people simply lost weight. That's about 6% of all of the cancer cases. With obesity and overweight increasing in virtually every developed country in the world, these are numbers that we need to take very seriously.
Obesity and Cancer
People with obesity tend to be more unhealthy in a variety of categories, not just when it comes to cancer risk. They also have higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. Additionally, people with obesity tend to have a lower quality-of-life, and they often face bias and other social problems.
In other words, while obesity directly contributes to certain forms of cancer, other aspects of an obese person's lifestyle certainly do not help.
How does it happen? Basically, excess fat causes the body to produce excessive amounts of hormones such as insulin and estrogen. When there is too much of these chemicals in the body, certain types of cancer are more likely to develop. Meanwhile, being obese also weakens the body's natural cancer-fighting mechanisms.
Which Types of Cancer are Caused by Obesity?
Among obese women, there is an increased incidence of breast cancer and uterine cancer. When it comes to uterine cancer, obesity may account for as much as 40 percent of all cases. The connection is not so strong with breast cancer, but researchers say that it is definitely there, particularly in post-menopausal women.
In men, obesity is associated with higher rates of colon cancer. This connection does not exist in women. Doctors think that the fact that men store excess fat around the abdomen, while women store it in other areas, is the reason for this difference. Something about having excess fat around the body's mid-section contributes to contamination of the digestive system, leading to colon cancer.
Finally, the other major type of cancer that is commonly associated with obesity is esophageal cancer, particularly a form called adenocarcinoma. While this requires more study, many doctors think that the prevalence of acid reflux in obese people may have something to do with this type of cancer.