Few Clarifications Regarding Menopause
June 30, 2009 by Helpful Menopause Tips
Filed under About Menopause
The menopause topic came into discussions recently. Not to long ago, it was a taboo topic. Women were afraid to talk about this transition even to their daughters. It was a new generation, free of inhibitions that started shamelessly the topic and opened a new era in the medical studies on the menopause and made it public.
A few generations ago, not to many women lived after menopause, but nowadays, most women live 25-30 years or more after menopause, which represents about one third or in some cases maybe even a half of their life, so it is very important to develop methods of improvement for some of the consequences of this transition and give women the possibility to overcome the problems that occur by menopause. Menopause is a natural process, not a medical one and even if it is caused by hormonal activity and has effects on both physical and psychological states, it is not the end of life. Sexuality may continue after menopause.
What is the actual process?
Menopause naturally occurs at an advanced age, and that is because once the body is aging, the egg supply ages too. Because of this, the ovulation are getting rarer and this is what is causing variations in hormone production. This process will go on until there won’t be enough progesterone and estrogen for menstruation in the body and it will stop. The process takes up to 12 months and when it is complete, the woman has reached menopause.
A woman is more exposed to heart disease after the menopause. The reasons for this are unknown so it is harder to prevent. It is recommended to take into consideration this factor before deciding on a treatment or a lifestyle.
Menopause represents a deficiency disease?
Doctors, scientists and researchers have started a topic on the menopause to decide whether it should be regarded as a natural process or as a health threat. Some specialists believe that the menopause is a hormone deficiency syndrome associated with dysfunction of the ovaries, requiring diagnosis and treatment. This affirmation is based on the predisposition of menopausal women for health disorders and on the statistics that 1% of postmenopausal women develop heart diseases, 0.5% encounter osteoporosis, 0.3% are develop breast cancer and 0.2% are affected by endometrial cancer. The risks for these conditions can be diminished by a replacement hormones therapy, which is strongly recommended by physicians to all the women that have no other medical reason to avoid it. On the other side, different specialists deny the idea of compulsory treatment of menopause believing that it will create an abnormal image of the old ages and put it in a bad light. Even though, they also approve that the risks for some health conditions increase in postmenopausal women.
Some menopause facts
The Perimenopause, the time preceding menopause starts most often between the ages 39 and 51 and it lasts averagely 5 years. One year after the menstruation periods stopped, it is said that the woman has reached menopause.
* - The average age of menopause is between 50 and 51. In 95% of all women, it occurs between the ages of 44 and 56.
* - Menopause before the age of 40 (spontaneous premature menopause) is rare, affecting about 1% of women in the United States .
* - Menopause is in many cases dictated by genetic factors so if your mother had an early or late menopause, you probably will also.
* - Smokers experience menopause an average of 1.5 years earlier than non-smokers.
Surgical removal of the ovaries or radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis may cause menopause too.
Thanks to Ruben Knisely for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:
A few generations ago, not to many women lived after menopause, but nowadays, most women live 25-30 years or more after menopause, which represents about one third or in some cases maybe even a half of their life, so it is very important to develop methods of improvement for some of the consequences of this transition and give women the possibility to overcome the problems that occur by menopause. Menopause is a natural process, not a medical one and even if it is caused by hormonal activity and has effects on both physical and psychological states, it is not the end of life. Sexuality may continue after menopause.
What is the actual process?
Menopause naturally occurs at an advanced age, and that is because once the body is aging, the egg supply ages too. Because of this, the ovulation are getting rarer and this is what is causing variations in hormone production. This process will go on until there won’t be enough progesterone and estrogen for menstruation in the body and it will stop. The process takes up to 12 months and when it is complete, the woman has reached menopause.
A woman is more exposed to heart disease after the menopause. The reasons for this are unknown so it is harder to prevent. It is recommended to take into consideration this factor before deciding on a treatment or a lifestyle.
Menopause represents a deficiency disease?
Doctors, scientists and researchers have started a topic on the menopause to decide whether it should be regarded as a natural process or as a health threat. Some specialists believe that the menopause is a hormone deficiency syndrome associated with dysfunction of the ovaries, requiring diagnosis and treatment. This affirmation is based on the predisposition of menopausal women for health disorders and on the statistics that 1% of postmenopausal women develop heart diseases, 0.5% encounter osteoporosis, 0.3% are develop breast cancer and 0.2% are affected by endometrial cancer. The risks for these conditions can be diminished by a replacement hormones therapy, which is strongly recommended by physicians to all the women that have no other medical reason to avoid it. On the other side, different specialists deny the idea of compulsory treatment of menopause believing that it will create an abnormal image of the old ages and put it in a bad light. Even though, they also approve that the risks for some health conditions increase in postmenopausal women.
Some menopause facts
The Perimenopause, the time preceding menopause starts most often between the ages 39 and 51 and it lasts averagely 5 years. One year after the menstruation periods stopped, it is said that the woman has reached menopause.
* - The average age of menopause is between 50 and 51. In 95% of all women, it occurs between the ages of 44 and 56.
* - Menopause before the age of 40 (spontaneous premature menopause) is rare, affecting about 1% of women in the United States .
* - Menopause is in many cases dictated by genetic factors so if your mother had an early or late menopause, you probably will also.
* - Smokers experience menopause an average of 1.5 years earlier than non-smokers.
Surgical removal of the ovaries or radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis may cause menopause too.
Thanks to Ruben Knisely for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:
Going Through Menopause Can Be Challenging
June 25, 2009 by Helpful Menopause Tips
Filed under About Menopause
For most women the topic of menopause brings a feeling of dread. Having watched their mother go “through the change” and anticipating hot flashes, mood swings and many other changes in their way of life is not a pleasant thing to look forward to experiencing. However, for others who understand the physiological processes associated with menopause, they may look forward to entering this third stage of their life.
There are many things happening in the female body during premenopause, as hormonal changes run rampant, affecting virtually every aspect of a woman’s life.
? Essentially, menopause is the day the ovaries stop functioning and no more eggs are produced.
? Up until that day, the condition is called premenopause and usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55.
? The average age at which a woman reaches menopause is 51, although there are some that experience it much earlier and later in life.
The issues associated with menopause are primarily due to the lack of hormone production by the endocrine glands that follows the schedule of egg production. As the ovaries being shutting down and menstrual cycles begin to cease, the production of hormones, especially estrogen also slows. As the body adjusts to the hormonal changes, it affects every system in the body from the sex drive to the condition of the skin.
Think of menopause as puberty in reverse. During puberty a woman’s body begins the process to enter the reproductive years. As menstrual cycles begin, hormone production is at its peak and the body prepares for the woman to become pregnant and begin rearing children. During menopause, essentially everything is reversed as the ovaries quit producing eggs as well as the hormones to drive the woman through reproduction. Not every woman going through premenopause suffers the same symptoms, nor are the severity of the symptoms the same for every woman.
While more obvious in some women, hot flashes, depression, irritability and mood swings are some of the most common issues for women in premenopause. They may also experience changes in menses from being irregular, heavy or light as well as vaginal dryness and a lack of sexual desire. Sleep patterns have also been known to be interrupted along with night sweats and occasional nausea. The woman in premenopause is greatly affected by any or all of these symptoms, but they can also have a profound affect on those with whom the woman comes into contact.
Families of women in premenopause will need to understand the changes she is going through and learn to deal with the mood changes and many other symptoms. While doctors often offer prescriptions for the symptoms of menopause, some of the drugs used can actually be detrimental to the health of the woman.
Many natural products are on the market as well as alternative medical treatments that can help her cope with the effects of menopause. Lifestyle changes may include a revised diet and exercise program to help the body cope with some of the changes. Exercising can help with any anticipated weight gain and limiting caffeine intake can help with loss of sleep.
Thanks to Richard Smart for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:
There are many things happening in the female body during premenopause, as hormonal changes run rampant, affecting virtually every aspect of a woman’s life.
? Essentially, menopause is the day the ovaries stop functioning and no more eggs are produced.
? Up until that day, the condition is called premenopause and usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55.
? The average age at which a woman reaches menopause is 51, although there are some that experience it much earlier and later in life.
The issues associated with menopause are primarily due to the lack of hormone production by the endocrine glands that follows the schedule of egg production. As the ovaries being shutting down and menstrual cycles begin to cease, the production of hormones, especially estrogen also slows. As the body adjusts to the hormonal changes, it affects every system in the body from the sex drive to the condition of the skin.
Think of menopause as puberty in reverse. During puberty a woman’s body begins the process to enter the reproductive years. As menstrual cycles begin, hormone production is at its peak and the body prepares for the woman to become pregnant and begin rearing children. During menopause, essentially everything is reversed as the ovaries quit producing eggs as well as the hormones to drive the woman through reproduction. Not every woman going through premenopause suffers the same symptoms, nor are the severity of the symptoms the same for every woman.
While more obvious in some women, hot flashes, depression, irritability and mood swings are some of the most common issues for women in premenopause. They may also experience changes in menses from being irregular, heavy or light as well as vaginal dryness and a lack of sexual desire. Sleep patterns have also been known to be interrupted along with night sweats and occasional nausea. The woman in premenopause is greatly affected by any or all of these symptoms, but they can also have a profound affect on those with whom the woman comes into contact.
Families of women in premenopause will need to understand the changes she is going through and learn to deal with the mood changes and many other symptoms. While doctors often offer prescriptions for the symptoms of menopause, some of the drugs used can actually be detrimental to the health of the woman.
Many natural products are on the market as well as alternative medical treatments that can help her cope with the effects of menopause. Lifestyle changes may include a revised diet and exercise program to help the body cope with some of the changes. Exercising can help with any anticipated weight gain and limiting caffeine intake can help with loss of sleep.
Thanks to Richard Smart for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:
Richard Smart writes for Natural Health Products, Inc and online natural health company which provides a very effective menopause product.
What are the effects of a total hysterectomy with the ovaries left behind?
June 20, 2009 by Helpful Menopause Tips
Filed under Hormones, Estrogen & Hysterectomy
Can you answer Ajane’s question about Menopause?:
I am 23 years old and mother of 2. I am going through issues with severe dysplasia that is getting worse. It is a genetic thing. With the birth of my last child, my uterus ruptured so it is now really weak on one side and pregnancy is pretty much out of the question. I am seriously considering a total hysterectomy with the ovaries left behind for hormone production. My family is really against the procedure because they are scared it will mess with my hormones and make me crazy. I really need all the information I can get before I willingly decide to go through with the surgery.
Menopause And Bleeding
I am 23 years old and mother of 2. I am going through issues with severe dysplasia that is getting worse. It is a genetic thing. With the birth of my last child, my uterus ruptured so it is now really weak on one side and pregnancy is pretty much out of the question. I am seriously considering a total hysterectomy with the ovaries left behind for hormone production. My family is really against the procedure because they are scared it will mess with my hormones and make me crazy. I really need all the information I can get before I willingly decide to go through with the surgery.
Menopause And Bleeding
