Menopause is the time that signals the end of your period. It is analyzed following a year without a period. Menopause can occur in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.

Menopause is a natural biological process. But physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and the emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, reduce your energy, or affect your emotional health. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle modifications to hormonal therapy.

Why does menopause happen?

Natural menopause – menopause that occurs in your early 50s and is not caused by surgery or another medical condition – is a normal part of aging. Menopause is defined as a whole year without menstrual bleeding, in the absence of any surgery or medical condition that may artificially stop bleeding (use of hormonal contraceptives, hyperthyroidism, etc.) As you get older, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down . Down and preparing to stop. This cycle has been running continuously since puberty.

As menopause approaches, the ovaries produce less of a hormone called estrogen. When this decrease occurs, the menstrual cycle (period) begins to change. It can become irregular and then stop. Physical changes can also occur as your body adjusts to different levels of hormones. The symptoms you experience during each stage of menopause (perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause) are part of your body modifying these changes.

 

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Every woman’s menopause experience is unique. Symptoms are generally more extreme when menopause happens abruptly or over a shorter timeframe. Conditions that affect ovarian health, such as cancer or a hysterectomy, or some lifestyle choices, such as smoking, tend to increase the severity and duration of symptoms.

Beside feminine changes, the manifestations of menopause, menopause, and postmenopause are commonly the equivalent.The most common early signs of menopause are:

• Less frequent menstruation

• Periods that are heavier or lighter than usual

• Vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and redness

It is estimated that 75 percent of women experience hot flashes with menopause.

Other common symptoms include menopause:

• insomnia

• vaginal dryness

• anxiety

• difficulty concentrating

• memory problems

• weight gain

• depression

• reduced libido, or sex drive

• headaches

• racing heart

• dry skin, mouth, and eyes

• increased urination

• sore or tender breasts

• less full breasts

• hair thinning or loss

• urinary tract infections (UTIs)

• reduced muscle mass

• painful or stiff joints

• reduced bone mass

• Increased hair growth in other areas of the body, such as the face, neck, chest and upper back

Menopause Causes

A woman is born with all of her eggs stored in the ovaries. Her ovaries also secrete the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control her role (menstruation) and the secretion of eggs (ovulation). Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop releasing an egg every month and menstruation stops.

Menopause is a regular part of aging when it occurs after the age of 40. But some women can go through menopause early. It could be the result of surgery, such as removing the ovaries in a hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries, such as chemotherapy. If, for any reason, it occurs before the age of 40, it is called early menopause.

Treatment

Menopause is not a health problem but a natural transmission. However, it can include unwanted physical and mental changes. Anyone with concerns about these changes should seek medical advice. Your primary care physician may suggest at least one of the accompanying:

Hormone therapy

This treatment helps balance the body’s hormone levels by providing extra estrogen and the synthetic version of progesterone. Hormone therapy comes in different forms, including skin patches and topical creams. It can help reduce the occurrence of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

However, using it may increase your risk of developing certain diseases and health conditions. A person should not use hormone therapy if they have risk factors for the following health problems, or if they have a personal or family history of these problems:

• heart disease

• gallbladder disease

• breast cancer

• liver disease

• blood clots

• high levels of triglycerides in the blood

• stroke

It is important to discuss the potential benefits and risks of hormone therapy with a doctor before deciding to use it.

Other treatments

A person may find that the following can also help relieve symptoms:

• Gels and other over-the-counter products for vaginal dryness

• Prescription pills, creams, and rings for vaginal dryness

• Low-dose hormonal birth control pills for hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood changes

• Low-dose antidepressants for hot flashes, even among people without depression

 

Menopause Diagnosis

Although the diagnosis can be made through the patient’s history, laboratory tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis of menopause. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the decrease in estrogen (estradiol) are compatible with menopause. Any hormonal treatment, such as birth control pills, will nullify the FSH and estradiol tests. Since some ailments can prompt oligomenorrhea, your primary care physician may likewise check thyroid capacity, prolactin level, and perhaps different tests dependent on your history and physical assessment.

Complications

After menopause, your danger of certain ailments increments. Examples include:

 

• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease: When your estrogen levels drop, your risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases. Coronary illness is the main source of death for the two ladies and men. Therefore, it is important to get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet, and maintain a normal weight. Ask your doctor for advice on how to protect your heart, such as how to reduce cholesterol or blood pressure if it is too high.

• Osteoporosis: This condition leads to fragility and weak bones, which increases the risk of fractures. During the first few years after menopause, you may lose bone density at a rapid rate, which increases your risk of developing osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are at particular risk of fractures of the spine, hips, and wrists.

• Urinary incontinence: Since the tissues of the vagina and urethra lose their elasticity, you may experience frequent, sudden, and strong urges to urinate, followed by involuntary loss of urine (urge incontinence), or loss of urine with coughing, laughing, or lifting (stress incontinence). You may have urinary tract infections more often.

• Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises and using topical vaginal estrogen may help relieve symptoms of incontinence. Hormone therapy may also be an effective option for treating urinary tract and vaginal changes after menopause that may lead to incontinence.

• Sexual function: Vaginal dryness that results from decreased moisture production and loss of elasticity can cause discomfort and slight bleeding during sexual intercourse. Also, decreased sensation may reduce the desire for sexual activity (sexual desire).

• Water-based moisturizers and lubricants may help. If vaginal lubricants are not sufficient, many women benefit from using a topical vaginal estrogen therapy, which is available as a vaginal cream, tablet, or ring.

• Weight gain: Many women gain weight during menopause and after menopause because their metabolism slows down. You may need to eat less food and exercise more just to maintain your current weight.