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Menapause

Posted on 02. Mar, 2009 by .

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Menapause should actually be spelled with an “o” as in menopause, but when you say it out loud, it does sound like it should be spelled with an “a”. Here’s a guide about what to expect during this life transition.

Definition

Menopause is a normal phase of every woman’s life; it marks the end of fertility. Menopause starts the day a woman has the last day of bleeding of her very last period, but it’s not considered official until a woman has one complete year with absolutely no bleeding. Until the one year mark with no bleeding is reached, a woman may still be fertile and capable of getting pregnant.

Quick Facts:
  • The average age of menopause in the US is 52.
  • Menapause before 40 years old is considered early menopause.

Phases of Menapause

Perimenopause

This is the beginning of the menopause process, it is sort of like a pre menopause, this phase starts about 5 -7 years before menopause and the symptoms of perimenopause are the same as during menopause. It’s during perimenopause that a woman begins to experience the fluctuating hormone levels that are thought to be the main cause of the symptoms associated with menopause.

Menopause

The last day of a woman’s last period. Once menopause is reached, a woman is no longer considered fertile.

Postmenopause

This is basically the phase after menopause is reached. It’s during this phase that symptoms gradually begin to diminish eventually disappearing altogether.

Quick Facts:
  • Your doctor can perform saliva or blood tests to determine your hormone levels and whether or not you may be entering into perimenopause.

Symptoms

The symptoms of menopause will be unique for each woman; there is no “exact” menopause experience. Whether a woman will get symptoms or not is determined by a variety of factors including genetics, weight, diet, exercise habits, smoking habits, drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, culture and racial profile.

This is a list of symptoms associated with menopause:

  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Insomnia (may be due to night sweats)
  • Mood swings
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Unwanted facial hair
  • Irregular bleeding
  • Heart palpitations
  • Tinnitus (ear ringing)
  • Formication (skin crawling sensation)
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
Quick Facts:
  • Only 50% of all women will get symptoms.
  • Among women who get symptoms, 90% get hot flashes.

Menapause Treatment

Menopause itself requires no treatment; it’s a normal part of the aging process, however sometimes the symptoms of menopause can get bad enough to require treatment. Some of the symptoms that may require treatment include: insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, depression and anxiety. However when it comes to menapause symptoms, the severity of the symptoms has to be carefully weighed against the possible side effects and health risks associated with treatment.

Hot flashes

Treatments for hot flashes include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but due to the side effects of long term usage, this is usually only used for short time frames. Some other treatments that are not FDA improved specifically for the treatment of hot flashes, but have shown some positive results include antidepressants from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) class, the blood pressure medication Clonidine, and the anti-seizure medication Gabapentin.

Depression and Anxiety

There are several medications available for treating both depression and anxiety, such as Paxil, Prozac, and Wellbutrin for depression and Xanax, Klonopin and Valium for anxiety.

Insomnia

This can be treated with over the counter sleep aids such as Unisom and Sominex, but these are only recommended for short time periods. If insomnia is chronic then prescription strength medications such as Lunesta or Sonata may be an option.

Vaginal dryness

The most common treatment for vaginal dryness is over the counter lubrications such as K-Y Jelly.

Quick Facts:
  • Menopause doesn’t require treatment.
  • Symptoms will eventually disappear naturally.

Long Term Heath Risks after Menapause

Heart Disease

After estrogen levels go down, the risk of heart disease increases, it is the leading cause of death in both men and women.

Osteoporosis

This is a loss of bone density that may lead to brittle weak bones resulting in an increase in bone fractures. The most common breaks associated with osteoporosis are broken wrists and broken hips, broken hips in older people may result in a hospital stay and decreased mobility.

Incontinence

It’s common among older women to experience sudden urine leakage, especially when laughing or coughing.

Weight gain

Unfortunately it becomes harder to keep and maintain the body we may want. It’s not impossible to stay fit and healthy, but changes are inevitable and it takes more effort as we age. You may have to reduce caloric intake and exercise more just to maintain a healthy weight that was maintained effortlessly.

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