Menopause, also referred to as the climacteric and familiarly known as “the change,” is the whole cessation of the menstrual cycle and, consequently, the end of a woman’s childbearing capacity. It’s a natural physiological event–not an illness or an illness. The practice is usually signaled by changes in the menstrual cycle: decreased bleeding, skipped periods, unusually heavy flow within a shorter than normal period, etc.. The transition to menopause may take no more than six months or it can extend over two decades.
Ovulation
Since ovulation may still happen, even sporadically, contraception should be practiced until puberty has ceased completely for four to six months, unless your physician has determined there’s not any threat of an unwanted pregnancy. During the years of fertility, both of the ovaries may produce an egg every month (ovulation) and furnish the hormones–notably estrogen but also progesterone–to prepare for the growth of the fertilized egg.
As menopause approaches, these acts slowly taper off until egg production stops altogether and hormone production is insignificant. The consequent changes in hormonal balance cause the characteristic symptoms of menopause–hot flushes and night sweats, which are experienced by up to 85 percent of all girls. Although the mechanism of these symptoms isn’t fully understood, they seem to result from a vasomotor (the body’s temperature regulation system) instability linked to changing hormonal levels.
Heat
The hallmark is a surprising suffusion of heat affecting the face and upper part of the body. There might be a red blotching of the skin and excessive perspiration, followed by a chill. Their frequency and intensity varies considerably among women, which range from the barely noticeable to the nearly intolerable. Happily, the body almost always adjusts to the diminished levels of female hormones and the flushes lessen and disappear.
The hot flushes usually occur without warning and can be over in a flash or they may endure for as long as a minute. Although a lot of women experience discomfort from such flushes and are ashamed because they fear they’re obvious to people around them, the latter generally isn’t true.
Night Sweat
Night sweats, another term for hot flushes that occur during sleep, are sometimes severe enough to interrupt sleep and, consequently, may contribute to the greater irritability, fatigue or feelings of depression often associated with menopause. It needs to be highlighted that mood changes aren’t menopausal symptoms per se, but rather may be impacts of concurrent factors in the woman’s lifetime, like feeling unnecessary as children move out by themselves or as livelihood and other functions change.
Vaginal dryness is another symptom directly linked to the hormonal changes of menopause. This condition, which might cause itching, infection and discomfort during sexual intercourse, is alleviated from the use of lubricating lotion. Since many girls experience a powerful resurgence of sexual appetite , problems in this area should be honestly discussed with your physician so they may be resolved promptly.
Hormonal Factor
Hormone replacement therapy to compensate for the human body’s diminished estrogen production will alleviate the frequency and severity of hot flushes and the vaginal dryness. Previously, long-term estrogen replacement was widely suggested for all women. In recent decades, however, there was a change in attitudes as more became known about potential dangers of long-term estrogen treatment. Studies have linked estrogen replacement with a higher risk of gallbladder disease and cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). In the menstruating woman, varying levels of estrogen and progesterone stimulate the endometrium to grow in readiness for a fertilized egg.
If conception doesn’t occur, the hormone levels drop and the lining is shed in the kind of a menstrual period. During uninterrupted estrogen treatment, the endometrial tissue proliferates, but it’s not shed. Some researchers believe this unopposed estrogen stimulation is a factor in the increased incidence of endometrial cancer found in women on long-term estrogen replacement. These dangers can be lessened, many experts believe, by using the lowest possible dose of estrogen which effectively reduces symptoms for as brief a time as required. Periodic endometrial biopsies also may be advised.
Stress Factor
Needless to say, the stress is moot for women who have undergone surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy), because they no longer possess any possibility of endometrial cancer. Additionally, a new approach was developed that involves giving low levels of estrogen which are interrupted each month or two with a couple of days of pregesterone. This, in effect, imitates the natural menstrual cycle and prevents the buildup of endometrial tissue. Women on this regimen will bleed as during a menstrual period, though the ovaries have ceased to operate.
In any case, your doctor is the best judge of whether estrogen replacement is indicated for you. There are a number of women, like individuals who have an estrogen-sensitive breast cancer, in whom estrogens are contraindicated. There are many others for whom they could be recommended not only to alleviate menopausal symptoms but also to help prevent the loss of bone tissue (osteoporosis) which is common among elderly women.
Remember
Estrogen isn’t suggested for depression or other mood problems or insomnia, despite popular reports to this effect. Although a lot of women regard menopause as”the beginning of the end,” it must be noted that the typical American woman lives a third of her life after menopause. While menopause may involve specific distress, these can be lessened until removed by time.
Self-fulfillment and beauty are by no means restricted to the young. Honest introspection about the joys and conveniences of the years, heart-to-heart talks with emotionally supportive relatives or a respected friend, reaching out for new adventures, work in the area or a livelihood and commonsense counselling by your physician are but some of the paths open to the woman experiencing menopause.