ive started getting hot flushes, can someone give me information on what other side affects that comes with it. What are menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause?
Menopause is the milestone in every woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years. When you have had no menstrual periods for 1 year, you have reached menopause. While the average age of menopause is around 50, every woman's body has its own unique timeline. Some women stop menstruating in their mid-40s, and others continue well into their mid-50s.
Perimenopause means "around menopause." It refers to the 2 to 8 years of changing hormone levels鈥攁nd the symptoms they cause鈥攍eading up to menopause. The most common sign of perimenopause is longer, often irregular menstrual cycles that are caused by hormonal ups and downs.
Most women start perimenopause between ages 39 and 51. 1 Some women begin to notice menstrual changes and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms in their late 30s, when hormone levels begin to change and fertility naturally declines. Other women don't notice menopause changes until their late 40s.
Postmenopause begins after 1 year of having no menstrual periods. Hormone levels continue to decline, and menopause symptoms tend to persist or increase into the first year or more of postmenopause. Estrogen and progesterone levels then stabilize at low levels, and symptoms usually subside. This is the phase of life when you can enjoy freedom from menstrual bleeding and birth control concerns.
What causes menopause?
Normal changes in your reproductive and hormone systems cause menopause. As your egg supply ages, your body begins to ovulate less, causing hormone levels to change (fluctuate). Eventually, estrogen and progesterone levels drop enough that the menstrual cycle stops.
Surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy), radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis, or chemotherapy can trigger an early menopause.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
During the months or years leading up to menopause, irregular menstrual cycles can lead to heavy menstrual bleeding (dysfunctional uterine bleeding). Other common symptoms include mild to severe hot flashes, insomnia, cloudy thinking, headaches, heart palpitations, mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. These symptoms can begin well before menopause and can last for a year or more afterward. Symptoms are different for every woman鈥攕ome notice few or no changes, while others have severe symptoms that disrupt their sleep and daily lives.
Estrogen steadily drops for several months before and after menopause. As it does, it's common for menopause symptoms to get worse. Over time, hormones even out, and symptoms usually improve or go away. Some women have ongoing symptoms, such as hot flashes, for years after menopause. When estrogen levels drop below a certain point, many women develop vaginal dryness and irritation, which can continue into the postmenopausal years. Fortunately, this symptom can be treated easily.
How do I know whether I am in perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause?
You don't need to test hormone levels to diagnose perimenopause or menopause. You and your health professional will most likely be able to tell when you are in perimenopause based on irregular menstrual periods. (This most often happens between ages 45 and 55.) You may also have various physical and emotional symptoms.
If you have heavy, irregular bleeding, your health professional may want to rule out any serious causes of your symptoms. In many women in their 40s, heavy menstrual bleeding is a sign of perimenopause. However, it can be caused by infection, disease, or a pregnancy complication.
When you have had no menstrual periods for 1 year, you have reached menopause.
Do I need treatment?
Menopause is a natural body change that doesn't require treatment. However, symptoms can disrupt your life and sense of well-being. The first approach to reducing menopause symptoms (and other long-term health risks related to aging) is to lead a healthy lifestyle鈥攎ake a special effort to eat well, exercise regularly, and avoid excess caffeine, alcohol, and stress. You can also use meditative breathing exercise, also called paced respiration, to reduce hot flashes and emotional symptoms. 2, 3
If you need more relief than lifestyle changes can give you, you can choose from many treatments for relieving menopause symptoms. Medicines include hormone therapy (HT) with low-dose birth control pills before menopause or low-dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause; antidepressants; or a certain blood pressure medicine. Alternative supplements include soy and black cohosh.
All medicines for menopause symptoms have possible risks or side effects. A very small number of women develop serious health problems when taking hormone therapy. Your personal risk of HRT causing breast cancer, cardiovascular problems, blood clots, or neurological changes may be lower or higher than average, depending on your risk factors. Experts do not yet know whether hormone therapy risks are the same for older and younger postmenopausal women.
Be sure to talk to your health professional about your possible health risks before starting a treatment for menopause symptoms. How old are you? If you are starting Menopause early, you may go through some "depression type" symptoms. If you are around the "normal" age for Menopause, you may still have mood swings, but they shouldn't be as serious. "Normal" age for menopause is between 45 and 50ish. Some women start earlier, some later.
Again, some side effects you may have are mood swings, some "depression". If you haven't stopped having periods, they may become "erratic", this happens to a small percentage of peri-menopausal women. You will also start to have vaginal dryness. You may have none of these symptoms, or you may get them all, each woman is different.
I work for several Physicians and one of them recommended Black Cohash and Yam Cream for my hot flashes. At first I laughed at her, but I take my Black Cohash daily, and put my yam cream on at night. It has really helped my hot flashes, they don't get as intense.
Some women take hormones for the hot flashes and mood swings, but I'm afraid to have hormone replacement therapy, because it just doesn't seem safe. I don't believe the risks are worth it. But I do believe each woman should make up her own mind, and do what is best for her. Good Luck from someone who's been there. |
