A PERFECT GUIDELINE TO MENOPAUSE

Menopause is the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and fertility. It marks the end of a woman's reproductive years; It happens when:    

• Your ovaries no longer make estrogen and progesterone, two hormones needed for fertility.

 Menopause occurs naturally within the age of 40 or an average of 51. But there can also be premature menopause if it occurs before the age of 40 stemming from the surgery, treatment of a disease, or an illness. It can be called induced menopause, surgical menopause, or primary ovarian insufficiency, depending on the cause.

Symptoms of menopause

When it starts naturally, some changes will occur, such as an irregular menstrual cycle. Once it gets off schedule, it should stop completely within about four years. Note: Despite irregular periods, pregnancy is possible. You might also notice some other symptoms such as:

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness and soreness
• Weight gain and slow metabolism
• Mood swings
• Night sweats
• Loss of full breast 
• Painful sex and low sex drive 
• Thinning hair and dry skin
• Trouble sleeping

Once you notice these signs, it's advisable to always book an appointment with your doctor for constant Preventive health care as you age may, including recommended health screening tests, such as colonoscopy, mammography, and triglyceride screening. Your doctor might recommend other tests and exams, too, including thyroid testing if suggested by your history and breast and pelvic exams.  

 Your doctor can check your blood for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The levels will jump as your ovaries begin to shut down. As your estrogen levels fall, you'll notice hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and less lubrication during sex.

The tissue in and around your vagina will thin as estrogen drops, too. The only way to check for this is through a Pap-like smear, but it's rarely done. You might have urinary incontinence, painful sex, a low sex drive, vaginal itching as this happens urinary incontinence, painful sex, a low sex drive, and vaginal itching.

Causes of menopause 

• Premature ovarian failure: This can cause premature menopause when the ovaries stop producing the usual level of reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone). This can stem from genetic factors or autoimmune diseases. But often, no cause of premature menopause can be found. For these women, hormone therapy is typically recommended at least until the natural age of menopause to protect the brain, heart, and bones.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: These cancers (uterine or endometriosis) therapies can induce menopause, causing symptoms such as hot flashes during or shortly after the course of treatment. The halt to menstruation (and fertility) is not always permanent following chemotherapy, so birth control measures may still be desired. Radiation therapy only affects ovarian function if radiation is directed at the ovaries.
•  (oophorectomy)Surgery that removes the ovaries: Your ovaries produce hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, that regulate the menstrual cycle. Surgery to remove your ovaries causes immediate menopause. Your periods stop, and you're likely to have hot flashes and experience other menopausal signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms can be severe, as hormonal changes occur abruptly rather than gradually over several years.
• Naturally declining reproductive hormones: As you approach your late 30s, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone — the hormones that regulate menstruation — and your fertility declines. In your 40s, your menstrual periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent, until eventually — on average, by age 51 — your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and you have no more periods.

Treatments of menopause 

Menopause is a natural occurrence in a woman from the age of 40, and the changes in the body will fade away with time. But there are some treatments to make them feel better, such as:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is also called menopausal hormone therapy. You take medications to replace the hormones that your body isn't making anymore. Certain drugs or combinations can help with hot flashes and vaginal symptoms, as well as make your bones stronger. But they can also put you at higher risk of health problems like heart disease or breast cancer, so you should take the lowest dose that works for the shortest time possible.
• Topical hormone therapy. This is an estrogen cream, insert, or gel that you put in your vagina to help with dryness.
• Nonhormone medications. The depression drug paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil) is FDA-approved to treat hot flashes. The nerve drug gabapentin (Gralise, Neuraptine, Neurontin) and the blood pressure drug clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay) might also ease them. Medicines called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) help your body use its estrogen to treat hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
• Medications for osteoporosis. You might take medicines or vitamin D supplements to help keep your bones strong.

Complication of Menopause 

After menopause, your risk of certain medical conditions increases. Examples include:

• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease. When your estrogen levels decline, your risk of cardiovascular disease increases and heart disease is the leading cause of death in women as well as in men. So it's 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 your cholesterol or blood pressure if it's too high.
• Osteoporosis. This condition causes bones to become brittle and weak, leading to an increased risk of fractures. During the first few years after menopause, you may lose bone density at a rapid rate, increasing your risk of osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are especially susceptible to fractures of their spine, hips, and wrists.
• Urinary incontinence. As the tissues of your vagina and urethra lose elasticity, you may experience frequent, sudden, strong urges to urinate, followed by an involuntary loss of urine (urge incontinence) or the loss of urine with coughing or laughing, or lifting (stress incontinence). You may have urinary tract infections more often. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises and using a topical vaginal estrogen may help relieve symptoms of incontinence. Hormone therapy may also be an effective treatment option for menopausal urinary tract and vaginal changes that can result in urinary incontinence.
• Sexual function. Vaginal dryness from decreased moisture production and loss of elasticity can cause discomfort and slight bleeding during sexual intercourse. Also, decreased sensation may reduce your desire for sexual activity (libido). Water-based vaginal moisturizers and lubricants may help. If a vaginal lubricant isn't enough, many women benefit from the use of local vaginal estrogen treatment, available as a vaginal cream, tablet, or ring.
• Weight gain. Many women gain weight during the menopausal transition and after menopause because metabolism slows. You may need to eat less and exercise more just to maintain your current weight.

Stages of menopause 

Menopause is a process that takes about three stages.

 

Perimenopause. Your cycles will become irregular, but they haven't stopped. Most women hit this stage around age 47. Even though you might notice symptoms like hot flashes, you can still get pregnant.

Menopause. This is when you'll have your final menstrual period. You won't know for sure it's happened until you've gone a year without one. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and other symptoms are common in this stage.

Postmenopause. This begins when you hit the year mark from your final period. Once that happens, you'll be referred to as postmenopausal for the rest of your life. Keep in mind that after more than one year of no menstrual periods due to menopause, vaginal bleeding isn't normal, so tell your doctor if you have any ASAP.

Source - mayoclinic.org  and webmed.com