Natural Health Alternatives Blog

What Is Menopause?

Menopause is not considered a medical condition or a disease, as all women go through it and it is considered a normal part of a woman’s life. It is described as an end of the reproductive age and menstruation, which brings about certain changes in a woman’s body which are irreversible. Although menopause cannot be avoided, its symptoms can be managed to make life easier for women. Menopause is the end of fertility for women, but symptoms may start to appear before their last period and can persist for months afterwards or even years if not managed. An average age for menopause is considered to be 50. Although not a disease, it can trigger symptoms for other medical conditions that a woman might have.

Causes

You might be wondering why menopause occur. Menopause is considered a normal part of an aging process when it occurs after 40. However, some women tend to go through menopause earlier due to damage to the ovaries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, primary ovarian insufficiency, natural decline of reproductive hormone and hysterectomy. It is a natural process, which is brought on by the aging of ovaries and the production of lower amounts of reproductive hormones. The body starts experiencing changes due to lower production of:

•    Progesterone

•    Oestrogen

•    Testosterone

•    Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

•    Luteinising hormone (LH)

The most important change is decrease in active ovarian follicles, which are responsible for producing and releasing eggs, resulting in menstruating and fertility. Some women experience menopause due to a pelvic injury or surgery such as:

•    Bilateral oophorectomy

•    Ovarian ablation

•    Pelvic radiation

•    Pelvic injuries which severely impact the ovaries

Symptoms

A woman may start to experience menopause symptoms for months, even years beforehand, which is called perimenopause. Some signs to lookout for are:

•    Hot flashes

•    Irregular periods

•    Night sweats

•    Vaginal dryness

•    Sleeping problems

•    Mood swings

•    Loss of breast firmness or fullness

•    Thinning of hair or receding hairline

•    Dry skin, eyes, mouth

•    Weight gain

•    Slow metabolism

•    Concentration difficulties

•    Memory lapses

•    Increased urination

•    Sore breasts

•    Reduced sex drive

•    Anxiety and/or depression

•    Headaches

•    Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs)

•    Stiff or painful joints

•    Increased hair growth on neck, upper back, chest or face

•    Decrease in muscle mass

•    Increase in heartbeat

Irregularity in periods are experienced by women in all age group at one or more points in their life. Therefore, it is advisable to look out for accompanying symptoms listed above. Although not considered a disease, menopause can trigger the symptoms for other diseases or complications such as osteoporosis, emotional disorders, urinary incontinence, heart/blood vessel disease, cataracts, periodontal disease, dyspareunia and vulvovaginal atrophy.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Many women don’t experience severe menopause symptoms, therefore require no medical help. However, if the symptoms for menopause are impacting your quality of life or causing you discomfort, you should consult your doctor immediately. For diagnosis your doctor may prescribe blood test for checking:

•    Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

•    Oestrogen

•    Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone

•    PicoAMH Elisa diagnostic test, which is recently approved by the FDA

•    Blood Lipid Profile

•    Liver Function Test

•    Kidney Function Test

After being diagnosed with menopause, your doctor may prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which can prevent osteoporosis and colorectal cancer, but contains the risk of coronary heart disease, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and breast cancer. Your doctor may also prescribe medications such as:

•    Low dose anti-depressants

•    Gabapentin for hot flashes

•    Vaginal estrogen for dryness, urinary problems and dyspareunia

•    Clonidine for hot flashes

•    Raloxifene, calcitonin, teriparatide and denosumab for osteoporosis

•    Prophylactic antibiotics for recurring UTIs