MENOPAUSE.

June 02, 2016

Menopause is a time in a woman when her menstruation stops, it usually occurs naturally in their 45 years of age. Menopause happens because the woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year.

symptoms of menopause

the months or years leading up to menopause (perimenopause), you might experience these signs and symptoms:

Irregular periods
Vaginal dryness
Hot flashes
Chills
Night sweats
Sleep problems
Mood changes
Weight gain and slowed metabolism
Thinning hair and dry skin
Loss of breast fullness
Every woman’s menopause experience is unique. Symptoms are usually more severe when menopause occurs suddenly or over a shorter period of time.
Conditions that impact the health of the ovary, like cancer or hysterectomy, or certain lifestyle choices, like smoking, tend to increase the severity and duration of symptoms.
Aside from menstruation changes, the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are generally the same. The most common early signs of perimenopause are:
- less frequent menstruation
- heavier or lighter periods than you normally experience
- vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and flushing
An estimated 75 percent of women experience hot flashes with menopause.

Why does menopause occur?

Menopause is a natural process that occurs as the ovaries age and produces less reproductive hormones.

The body begins to undergo several changes in response to lower levels of:

estrogen
progesterone
testosterone
follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
luteinizing hormone (LH)

One of the most notable changes is the loss of active ovarian follicles. Ovarian follicles are the structures that produce and release eggs from the ovary wall, allowing menstruation and fertility.

Most women first notice the frequency of their period becoming less consistent, as the flow becomes heavier and longer. This usually occurs at some point in the mid-to-late 40s. By the age of 52, most U.S. women have undergone menopause.

In some cases, menopause is induced or caused by injury or surgical removal of the ovaries and related pelvic structures.

Common causes of induced menopause include:

bilateral oophorectomy, or surgical removal of the ovaries
ovarian ablation, or the shutdown of ovary function, which may be done by hormone therapy, surgery, or radiotherapy techniques in women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors
pelvic radiation
pelvic injuries that severely damage or destroy the ovaries

Treatments

You may need treatment if your symptoms are severe or affecting your quality of life. Hormone therapy may be an effective treatment in women under the age of 60, or within 10 years of menopause onset, for the reduction or management of:

hot flashes
night sweats
flushing
vaginal atrophy
osteoporosis

Other medications may be used to treat more specific menopause symptoms, like hair loss and vaginal dryness.

Additional medications sometimes used for menopause symptoms include:

topical minoxidil 5 percent, used once daily for hair thinning and loss
antidandruff shampoos, commonly ketoconazole 2 percent and zinc pyrithione 1 percent, used for hair loss
eflornithine hydrochloride topical cream for unwanted hair growth
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly paroxetine 7.5 milligrams for hot flashes, anxiety, and depression
nonhormonal vaginal moisturizers and lubricants
low-dose estrogen-based vaginal lubricants in the form of a cream, ring, or tablet
ospemifene for vaginal dryness and painful intercourse