A discussion on the most crucial time in a woman’s life — menopause.
Are you one of those who avoided this topic like you would avoid a person with AIDS? Or are you one of those who can’t wait for it to happen? Over the years, people have different stands and views on menopause. So what is it really? Is it a cause for concern or a time for rejoicing? When is it going to happen and will I feel anything?
These are only some of the questions that women all over the world have been asking about. First, let’s define menopause. It is a medical term when a woman permanently ends her menstrual periods. Before you start exclaiming hallelujah, there’s a lot more you need to know about it.
While menopause is a natural “phenomenon” and is not considered an illness or disease, it is associated with certain health problems like osteoporosis and heart disease. However, this does not mean that you are going to suffer from these two health problems during menopause. The low estrogen levels during menopause may increase your risks of heart disease and the loss of bone density.
Even if menopause is a natural occurrence in a woman’s body, let’s delve deeper into what really causes it. A woman’s ovaries, which store her eggs, are also tasked to produce the estrogen and progesterone needed to regulate menstruation and ovulation. When the ovaries fail to produce an egg every month, menstruation stops and menopause happens.
Menopause usually occurs after a woman turned 40, which is a normal aspect of aging. However, some women experience menopause early, some of which are due to medical treatments like chemotherapy, while others are because the ovaries are damaged. Either way, if menopause happens earlier than usual, it is considered as premature menopause.
Natural menopause is not an abrupt process and there are three stages describing it. These are: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. The first stage happens way before the actual menopause does. The ovaries at this point are producing lesser estrogen than usual. As the actual menopause nears, the decrease in estrogen production heightens, bringing about menopausal symptoms. Menopause is assessed when a woman hasn’t had menstruation for 12 consecutive months. This stage signals the end of estrogen production and release of eggs. The third stage happens years after the actual menopause. Menopausal symptoms will lessen in most women but the health risks will rise due to estrogen loss.
Menopause may be an end to long bouts with PMS and other menstruation discomforts. However, it brings new challenges to women. Proper health care practices are encouraged to make menopause more of a welcome thought than a scary reality.
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Menopause Support
... that menopause is unpleasant or that it always brings along some terrible consequences. Menopause, like puberty, is a natural phenomenon in a woman's existence. For years, menopause has been associated with the end of youth and attractiveness. It has been viewed as the sign to the end of sexual life. Moreover, menopause has always been seen as the start of age-related diseases and their complications. People have painted a bad picture of menopause. That is why for most women, it is the evil incarnate. Several menopause support groups have been created for the purpose of enlightening women on the true nature of menopause. Most of these menopause support groups can be accessed online so people from all over the world may be able to interact and share their views on menopause and how to better cope with it. The...
Menopause Supplements
... there have been arguments to this suggestion regarding the efficiency and harmful effects of HRT. Even if HRT and other menopause supplements have certain benefits, the risks may be far greater. Does that mean menopause should not be treated unless there are symptoms? Correct. . In fact, studies show that menopause, without those bothersome symptoms, need not be treated. You may know of someone who never felt anything during her menopause. She may have had mood changes more often than usual but she got over it. Menopause symptoms may not even be as severe as those brought about by pregnancy. If you have endured a lot of sacrifices and discomforts when you were pregnant, then there is no reason why What Is Menopause you can't live with night sweats, weight gain, and even hot flashes for a few months or more. As long as you are not in extreme pain, Menopause supplements should not be an option....
Early Menopause
... premature menopause. The most evident causes though are: Premature Ovarian Failure (POV) This is the naturally-occurring premature menopause. This means that a woman's ovaries fail to function properly. The ovaries may have stopped producing eggs or the hormones needed for ovulation. POV is caused by several factors. Sixty-five percent of POV cases are due to autoimmune disorders. This is characterized when the body produces antibodies for its own products. Another factor is genetics. A small percentage of women have the tendency to start menopause early like their mothers. Some women though are just born with fewer eggs than the body requires, resulting in early menopause. Surgical Menopause Health reasons may require women to undergo surgery which would result in What Is Menopause early menopause. This type is a conscious decision by women to have menopause earlier than they are supposed to have it because it is the best option with regards to their health. One such...
Menopause Treatment
... highly recommended to see your doctor or health practitioner regarding the proper menopause treatment, most women say that their doctors gave them confusing information on menopause management. They further said that their doctors may be the most reliable source of health information, but were unable to give them the varying alternative therapies available. This may be the reason why more and What Is Menopause more women are self-medicating and have been trying on alternative menopause treatment without the scientific proofs on their "healing" claims. Just as menopausal symptoms are variable, so is menopause treatment. Some women may not feel any symptoms and would rather not deal with any menopause treatment. However, there are those who are actively looking for good remedies. There are several guidelines to help women decide if seeking menopause treatment is a part of their menopause management plan. These are: * Hormone...
Menopause Hormones
... the traditional menopause hormones and the "compounded" menopause hormones. These "compounded" hormones are also called bio identical hormones since they are derived from plant estrogens which act like the body's estrogens. Commercial menopause hormones manufacturers have questioned the safety and efficiency claims of these alleged natural menopause hormones. These natural alternatives have become the more popular choice of women because they feel that these are safer than the traditional ones. Moreover, the commercial menopause hormones have been What Is Menopause in question because of studies that found evidences linking then to several health risks. Women have been finding more solace in the compounding menopause hormones. These plant-based medications have been given more attention by those seeking relief from menopausal symptoms. Since more and more people have turned to these alternative remedies, giant commercial hormones manufacturers have questioned the safety of the natural drugs. They say that people have been using medications that are not sufficiently tested, unlike...
Menopause Symptoms
... symptoms. Hot flushes are characterized by sudden "feeling" of heat usually on the face or chest, cold sweats, flushing, and clammy feeling. These may be felt as early as four years before the actual end of menstruation and can last for a few years after it. Sleeping Problems Several sleep problems like insomnia are experienced by some women during menopause. Others also wake up during the night and find it difficult to go back to sleep. Sex-Related Problems Sex-related menopause symptoms have been the focus of arguments for several years. Loss of estrogen does not necessarily mean that women lose interest in sexual intercourse. However, due to vaginal dryness brought about by menopause, women sexual intercourse painful. There are lubricants available to help lessen this problem. Urinary Problems During menopause, women are more prone to involuntarily urine discharge especially if urinary infections are present. Laughing, What Is Menopause sneezing, coughing, stretching and other physical movements may put pressure on the bladder causing...
Menopause Weight Gain
... been using, look at yourself in the mirror. Did your clothes really shrunk or did your tummy just grew big? Before you start running to your ob-gyn for prenatal check-ups, you might want to stop and think. Are you pregnant or simply having signs of menopause? Menopause weight gain happens gradually as early as the perimenopause stage. Women would notice that their menopause weight gain is more concentrated around the belly or abdomen instead of around the hips and thighs. People term this as the "apple" shape due to the rounder shape of the belly. Women who are having menopause weight gain will lose the "pear" body shape they used to have because it will become increasingly harder for them to distribute their weight evenly around their bodies. Women who have early menopause will notice a more abrupt and intense menopause weight gain concentrated around the belly as well. As with those that have "normal" menopause, female experiencing early menopause will find it difficult to evenly distribute their...
Menopause Myths
... age, it only gets better for women. A good basis for predicting a woman's sex drive during menopause is to assess her sex drive before she had menopause. So a woman who has always been a good sexual partner will not likely turn out to be a bad one after menopause. Menopause can make What Is Menopause you gain weight. This myth is so much like saying that seeing a black cat brings bad luck. Poor cat! There has been no proofs to this claim. Women experience varying symptoms during menopause, and like weight issues, there is no general rule for it. Some women may gain weight, some may lose weight, and some others simply do not have any weight changes. Menopause may make women go insane and lose their memory. If you consider her menopausal mood swings as insanity, then by all means, hang on to this myth. Anyway, everyone's brain shrinks considerably by the age 30. Although this does not...
Male Menopause
... testosterone level results to male menopause termed as andropause. Some men are in constant denial up to now about the existence of a male menopause. And they have What Is Menopause been waving their "ageless male" banners for everyone to read. Men NEVER accept the fact that their sex drives are not as virile when they are in their 40's than when they were in their 20's. They insist on being sex gods all the way to their graves. Male menopause is not just the scheme of some feminists to deflate men's ego. There is scientific evidence proving its existence. Some men would rather call this as "mid-life crisis" although this is said to be something else as well. Middle-age crisis is simply a psycho-social issue. It does not necessarily happen to every male and does not at all times influence his sexual life. Male menopause on the other hand is a natural physiological occurrence that greatly affects the sexual drive around the...
Menopause And Depression
... be. If by any chance you are feeling gloomy during the stages of menopause simply because you think you're aging or that you feel so undesirable, there are a number of ways to help you overcome these feelings. These are: * Take medications Antidepressants are available as treatment for women suffering from moderate to severe depression. However, it is highly advised that a health care practitioner be consulted before any medication What Is Menopause is taken in. * Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy and Herbal Alternatives HRT, as with the natural alternative treatments, have never really proven that they are perfectly effective as antidepressant. The studies on these have not gathered enough evidences to establish its effectiveness and safety. * Get Therapy Health care professionals like psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical...
Premenopause
... done when there is evidence of ovarian failure. However, there are other causes such as genetics, and cancer treatments like chemotherapy. Premenopause can happen to women as young as 15 years old. This means that those who experience menopause early on in their lives will find menopause very depressing and life-changing. Some would have to seek help in order to deal with the infertility issues. Aside from its possible psychological effects, premenopause also causes women to have a long period of postmenopause. This means that you may be required by your doctor to have hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). Experts have not really made any firm comparison on perimenopause and premenopause. Some say that both mean the same thing. A few made some very What Is Menopause vague descriptions on these two terms. They say that premenopause means...
Vitamins For Menopause
Vitamin C is known as the healing vitamin. Aside from it ability to heal wounds and maintain collagen, vitamin C also helps in bone repair. As people grow older, the need for collagen regeneration rises as well. Thus, this vitamin is a must for people who are going through the middle-age crisis. Vitamin D Vitamin D works basically like calcium and estrogen. All are essential What Is Menopause in the maintaining healthy bones. Menopausal women are more prone to osteoporosis because of low estrogen production. Thus, vitamin D is an essential component of the diet of women during menopausal years. Vitamin E Some call it the "menopausal vitamin" because it has been uses as an estrogen substitute. Some chemical properties of vitamin E are said to be...
Sex After Menopause
... does not disappear with time. The women who find sex after menopause more enjoyable said that they need not worry about contraceptives and unwanted pregnancies anymore, making them perform better in bed. For those who may have problems with sex after menopause though, there are numerous ways to deal with them. Lubricating gels, vaginal moisturizers, and even vaginal estrogen creams can make sex after menopause as satisfying as it was during your child-bearing years. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is also said to relieve vaginal dryness. However, since there have been negative effects associated with the use of HRT, it is best What Is Menopause to consult your doctor before attempting to use it. Female who are experiencing menopause may complain of several changes including a low desire for sex. While this is not true for all, and not a clear explanation has been derived at, experts believe that this is mostly a...
Hair Loss Due To Menopause
... menopause. Hair loss in women happens more often than is actually perceived. However the extent of hair loss in women is not as pronounced as those in men. Balding spots are not seen in women as they are in men, because their hair loss has mostly a thinning effect. Women's hair loss due to menopause is not even made clear up to now as to its real causes. Even the impact of estrogen in women's hair hasn't been fully understood. However, there are estrogen medications being prescribed by doctors as treatment for hair loss during menopause. There are myths surrounding hair loss due to menopause some of which are as follows: Myth 1: Hair loss problem is inherited from one's father. This is partly true. Hair loss like Androgenetic Aplopecia is hereditary-type. However, not just the father is responsible for your...
Menopause Relief
... that a woman's eating habit is a big factor in lesser incidence of menopausal What Is Menopause symptoms. The major content of soy which is isoflavones, is basically the reason why it brings forth menopause relief. It is said that these isoflavones, although these are not estrogens, act they way estrogens do. Because of this, soy foods and soy supplements are highly recommended as menopause relief. Women who have been experiencing menopausal symptoms may alleviate the discomforts by taking in soy products. The studies made in Japan, where soy foods are commonly part of the diet, showed that the women there are very much less likely to experience menopausal symptoms than the women in US or Canada. The isoflavones content of soy possess an estrogen-like effect, thereby decreasing the occurrence of menopausal symptoms. These studies are paving the way for an alternative option of menopause relief to using the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)....