Skip to main content

What is Menopause: Facts, Causes And Symptoms

By

Menopause Facts

Menopause marks the end of the reproductive phase of a woman’s life. When a woman ages, her body experiences many changes and a lot of them are triggered by the hormonal changes brought on by menopause the end of the menstrual cycle. While many may regard as a blessing, it is important to understand how it affects the body.

What triggers menopause?

With the arrival of the mid-forties, the ovaries reduce the production of the sex hormones, namely progesterone and estrogen. Apart from impacting a woman’s health and certain physical aspects, these hormones are collectively responsible for
  1. Ovulation - the process by which an egg is released by the ovaries into the fallopian tubes.
  2. Normal development and function of the uterus
  3. Growth of breasts
  4. Preparation of the lining of the uterus to accept the fertilized egg.

The most common age for menopause:

Ages between 40 up to 60 are considered normal for the onset of menopause in the Western World. Women typically get their last period at the age of 51 (average estimated). Changes in the menstrual cycle marking the end of the fertility period occurring earlier than 45 years of age is referred to as “early menopause” whereas later than 55 years is considered “late menopause”.

Premature menopause:

It so happens at times that menopause occurs before the age of 40. Such cases are regarded as falling under “premature menopause” and are often the result of autoimmune disorders, genetics or medical procedures such at chemotherapy or removal of ovaries.

Another reason for early menopause is “premature ovarian failure”. For reasons not yet known, this happens when the ovaries halt the production of eggs thus triggering changes in the hormone profile. This is not necessarily a permanent situation though, unlike premature menopause.

Symptoms of menopause:

As per the experts, one year without your period confirms the arrival of menopause. The initial phase when menopause kicks in, known as “peri-menopause”, may persist for 3 to 5 years when estrogen levels start dipping.

You may start experiencing the symptoms well before that one-year period begins. Mentioned below is a list of a few symptoms of menopause.
  • Irregular periods – Not every woman faces the same symptoms but this is generally the first sign. Your   period may become irregular or you might end up skipping over them for months at time.
  • Hot flashes
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Depression and other mood swings
  • Joint or muscle ache
  • Altered libido
  • Dry or itchy vagina
When the body has to do away with estrogen, it becomes susceptible to a number of health risks including osteoporosis and heart disease. But there is no need to panic- understanding menopause is the key to coping with it.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Health Benefits of Green Tea

By
Green Tea originated in China and has been around for more than 4,000 years. It is made from leaves known as Camellia Sinensis that have undergone slight oxidation during process. Although the tea first originated in china it has become extremely popular with many cultures in Asia. As well as being a tasty drink to have while you relax it also proves to have a number of health benefits, some of which can be found below. Allergies : The body has many receptors, including those that react to allergies. Researchers in Japan have discovered that green tea has a compound in it that can block the receptor which causes the body to have an allergic response. Immunity : Another study conducted in Japan has found that if you gargle with the liquid, you can boost your immunity to illnesses such as Influenza and the Flu. Alzheimers Disease : Alzhimers is a disease that usually occurs in the elderly effecting their brain. It effectively damages the brain causing the person memory loss, mood swings...
Post a Comment
Read more

FDA Approves Non-Hormonal Drug For Hot Flashes During Menopause

By
The Unites States Food and Drugs Administration has approved the first non-hormonal drug to treat hot flashes associated with menopause. The U.S. Food and Drugs Administration has approved the first non-hormonal drug to treat hot flashes associated with menopause. The drug, Brisdelle ( paroxetine ), contains the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine mesylate and can be used to treat moderate to severe hot flashes experience by women during menopause. Hot flashes during menopause are known to affect 75 percent of women worldwide. According to a FDA press release , though this condition is not fatal it can carry on for five or more years in some women causing a lot of discomfort and disrupted sleep. "There are a significant number of women who suffer from hot flashes associated with menopause and who cannot or do not want to use hormonal treatments," said Hylton V. Joffe, M.D., M.M.Sc., director of the Division of Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Products in the F...
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Free Yourself From A Drug Addiction

By
Drug addiction is surrounded by a cloud of misconception. It is nearly impossible for someone who has not suffered with an addiction themselves to understand just how difficult it is to deal with. When you have a dependency to drugs, the effects are physical, psychological, social, and emotional. It affects every aspect of your life, and hangs a cloud of misery over your head. But the worst part about it is just how trapped you feel. The minute you start to get addicted to drugs, you check in your free will and many of the best parts of your personality, and you start to try to find the parts of yourself that you lost, through drugs. Getting over such a tough addiction is even harder to deal with, but anyone can do it if they put in enough work, and receive a lot of help. Here are some basic tips to get you started on the road to recovery. Recognize the Signs Before you can get help, you have to figure out the extent of your problem. You might believe that you don’t have a problem. ...
2 comments
Read more