As everyone gets older, various body changes may occur during that period. Most of these changes involve the decline in the efficiency and functionality of multiple systems in your body. Men’s changes may include a decline in mental capacity and decision-making. Women may undergo the same problems, but their most unique feature is the onset of menopause McDonough. More about menopause and all it is about is discussed below.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is a condition that occurs in women that indicates the end of their menstrual cycles. Diagnosis occurs if you go through twelve months without a menstrual period. This typically happens when in your forties or fifties.
Menstruation is a natural biological phenomenon characterized by physical symptoms like hot flashes and emotional symptoms that may lower your energy, cause sleep disruptions, or affect your emotional health. Various management plans are available such as hormone therapy and lifestyle adjustments.
Symptoms
The months or years that lead up to menopause are characterized by signs and symptoms that include:
- Vaginal dryness
- Irregular periods
- Chills
- Hot flashes
- Sleep problems
- Night sweats
- Slowed metabolism with gain in weight
- Mood changes
- Dry skin and thinning hair
- Loss of fullness in breasts
Most symptoms vary among women, but irregular periods occur before the end. Despite irregular periods, you can still conceive during that time.
Causes
Some leading causes are as follows:
- Your ovaries function is producing estrogen and progesterone hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. The removal of your ovaries through surgery brings an end to your periods as the signs and symptoms of menopause begin to occur.
- The production of estrogen and progesterone reduces as you get to your late thirties. The naturally declining reproductive hormones cause your menstrual periods to shorten or lengthen at this age period.
- Premature menopause may be caused by your ovaries failing to produce normal amounts of reproductive hormones. This condition may result from autoimmune disease or genetic factors.
- Radiation therapy and chemotherapy that treat cancer may induce menopause, thus causing symptoms like hot flashes after therapy
Diagnosis and Treatment
Your physician can accurately diagnose menopause through the various signs and symptoms experienced. Tests are not typically required to identify the onset of menopause. However, certain circumstances may warrant multiple blood tests that check the levels of:
- A thyroid-stimulating hormone that causes symptoms similar to menopause
- Follicle-stimulating hormone and estrogen since when menopause occurs, estrogen levels reduce while FSH levels increase
Menopause does not need medical treatment. Instead, the treatments involve measures taken to reduce the effects of symptoms while managing conditions that may come about after getting menopause. Some of these treatments include:
- Administration of estrogen directly to the vagina
- Estrogen hormone therapy in small doses
- Gabapentin
- Low-dose antidepressants
- Medications that prevent or treat osteoporosis
- Clonidine
Menstruation is not typically a medical condition. However, management to relieve symptoms while preventing other associated diseases is required. Check us out online, or call our McDonough, GA offices for any menopause inquiries.
