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1. Menopause is one of the major turning points in a woman's life. It marks the end of menstruation and a time when hormonal balance changes.
The Different Types of Menopause:
-Premature Menopause is when the last period occurs before the age of 40 years old. This may be caused by hereditary factors, smoking, exposure to radiation, exposure to chemotherapy.
-Artificial Menopause is the result of medical intervention. Such examples are: removal of estrogen and progesterone, radiation to the pelvic area and certain medications.
-Natural Menopause is caused by the advancement of age and when a woman stops menstruating.
-Premenopause refers to a woman's reproductive life, from the first menstrual period to the last.
-Perimenopause is the time of gradual changes that lead to menopause. Women begin to have irregular periods and start to experience the symptoms of menopause.
-Postmenopause is the stage after the last period. Due to the reduction of female hormones like estrogen and progesterone, many woman face new health issues like osteoporosis, heart disease, etc.
2. Menopause is a part of every woman's life. Yet every woman experiences it differently. Three of the most common symptoms of menopause are hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Depending on your body, you may experience all or none of these symptoms. And there's no set degree to which the symptoms will occur -- some women may experience more extreme symptoms while others may experience milder symptoms. The bottom line is that any one of these symptoms can cause discomfort and can affect your day-to-day life. That's why it's important to recognize them and treat them properly.
3. Not all women experience menopause at the same stage in life. A woman can experience various types of menopause, all of which affect women differently. Natural Menopause typically occurs when a woman approaches 45 to 50 years of age. Natural Menopause is caused by the advancement of age and when a woman stops menstruating. As previously mentioned, menopause can occur prematurely or be circumstantially induced. Premature Menopause is when the last period occurs before the age of 40. This may be caused by: hereditary factors, smoking, exposure to radiation, exposure to chemotherapy. Artificial Menopause is the result of medical intervention. Such examples are: Removal of estrogen and progesterone, radiation to the pelvic area and certain medications.
4. It is not absolutely necessary to seek doctoral attention while experiencing menopause, but it is always a good idea to have annual visits, as our bodies do undergo many changes as we age. In many cases women who are experiencing premature or artificial menopause are under the guidance of a physician, as premature and artificial menopause can be side effects of some medical treatments.
5. How you manage menopause will depend on your symptoms. The most
effective treatment is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), but some women are unable to take these medications and there are risks involved (as with many medications). Herbal medications such as Soy and Black Cohash have been used to improve symptoms, along with exercise, eating a healthy diet and getting adequate amounts of sleep. Before starting any type of treatment your best course of action is to sit down with your doctor and discuss all options and work out a plan that best suits your needs.
6. Many women describe a decrease in libido with the onset of menopause. However, for many women there are many things that influence desire, whether it is not getting enough sleep, being overworked on the job or at home (or both!), or medical problems. Making time for a relationship is often the biggest hurdle. Also, symptoms such as vaginal dryness may make intercourse painful. However, there are many options such as over the counter lubricants or prescription estrogen cream that you should discuss with your doctor if this is a problem for you.
7. Male hormones decrease much more gradually with age and do not undergo the abrupt change that women have during their menopause.
8. HRT increases your risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and in some preparations, breast cancer. All these risks are small if HRT is taken for the shortest amount of time when women are first going through menopause. Every woman is different and thus, every woman has different risks for these things even without HRT. Smoking, being overweight, not exercising, or having a strong family history for these diseases can increase your risk even more than HRT. You should talk with your doctor regarding what is the best way for you to handle your symptoms.
9. Everyone's risk of cancer is different and some preparations of HRT (but not all) have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. The majority of women who take HRT do not get breast cancer.
10. Medically or surgically induced menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing hormones due to medications such as chemotherapy or are removed during a surgical procedure such as a hysterectomy. Often, symptoms are more abrupt and for some women, more severe.
11. The risk for a majority of cancers is dependent on age and since menopause occurs when a woman is older that is why it often seems as though a woman's risk for cancer increases after menopause. In actuality, menopause decreases the risk for some cancers and has no effect on many other types of cancer.
12. Although some women may experience a change in their metabolism with menopause, the most important things that impact on weight are diet and exercise.
13. A woman's peak bone mass is at age 30. All women slowly lose bone mass from age 30 on and have a slightly sharper drop after menopause. Ask your doctor if you are at risk for osteoporosis (the significant bone loss that increases your risk of fracture). A bone density test may be helpful to assess this risk. Weight bearing exercises and getting an adequate amount of calcium in your diet prior to menopause are the best ways to help decrease bone loss. Discuss with your doctor if you are at risk for osteoporosis.
