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.
Menopause 101 – Our Guide
While several years ago women knew few things about menopause, its symptoms and how to react to it, nowadays there are many informative sources about this period in every woman's life.
When the human body grows older, several changes will affect it and for women that pass 40 or 50, these changes will affect the reproductive systems. Menopause is defined as the period of time after the woman's last menstrual period. This means that the woman is no longer able to develop and carry babies. The activity of the human's reproductive system is hormone controlled and that is why the woman's body witnesses so many changes after it enters menopause. Because of these hormonal changes, not only the woman's body, but also its state of mind may suffer some changes.
Usually, menopause installs in women which are over 50, but there are cases in which menopause sets in for women around 40. In some extreme conditions (or when the woman's body suffers surgical procedures), menopause can start to manifest as early as the 30's. However, these are the exceptions from the rule and all studies agree on the age of 50 as being the time when menopause sets in.
Among the changes that the woman witnesses, irregular vaginal bleeding, hot flashes and the apparition of night sweats, emotional and cognitive symptoms, vaginal symptoms and urinary symptoms are the most common signs of menopause. The woman's normal menstrual activity changes, so she will witness changes in the menstrual cycle, as well as other possible vaginal abnormal activity (thinning of the vaginal tissues as well as the apparition of temporary irritations). These hormonal changes will also affect the woman's state of mind, so she may feel disorientated, irritable or witnessing periods of mental and physical fatigue.
When any of these symptoms begin to manifest, it is important to consult with the medic. If left un-taken care of, menopausal symptoms and issues can develop into more serious problems. Among the most frequent complications of menopause, osteoporosis and cardiovascular problems are the most significant. Osteoporosis is a chronic deterioration of bone quality and it greatly increases the risk of bone fracture. The density of the bone (bone mineral density) normally begins to decrease in women during the fourth decade of life, moment of their lives that coincides with the installation of menopause.
Women at menopause should also check with a cardiologist, the women's risk of cardiovascular disease increases around the time of menopause.
Menopause is nothing to worry about, especially if the symptoms are carefully taken care of.