Menopause is signaled by 12 months since last menstruation.
Common symptoms include hot flashes and vaginal dryness. There may also be sleep disturbances. The combination of these symptoms can cause anxiety or depression.
Menopause is a natural process with treatments that focus on symptomatic relief. Vaginal dryness is treated with topical lubricants or estrogens. Medications aimed at reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes include venlafaxine and gabapentin. In special circumstances, oral hormone therapy may be prescribed.
Consult a doctor for medical advice
Sources: Mayo Clinic and others.
Very common
More than 3 million cases per year in US
Can often be self-treated
Usually self-diagnosable
Rarely requires lab test or imaging
Urgent medical attention recommended
Common for ages 40 and older
Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.
Menopause is a natural biological process. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy or affect emotional health. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy.
Symptoms vary from person to person:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Heavy bleeding might occur for a day or two
- Excessive sweating during night
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness, itching and pain during sexual intercourse
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Weight gain due to uneven fat distribution
Menopause can result from:
- Natural decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, which are the reproductive hormones and regulate menstrual cycles
- Complete hysterectomy is a procedure when both uterus and ovaries are removed and can cause menopause. This will be done if there are other related problems either in uterus or ovaries. Menopause can be caused due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy in cancer patients
- Premature menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency -in which ovaries fail to produce normal levels of reproductive hormones
- Osteoporosis – the normal decline in bone density could be accelerated during menopause due to hormonal changes and the age
- Increases the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Urinary Incontinence
Hormone variations are common and it is difficult to diagnose menopause based on the hormonal levels. The absence of menstrual periods for a year confirms menopause. In rare situations specialist may prescribe blood tests.
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