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Symptoms of menopause and the main stages of the physiological state

The human body is a unique mechanism that doctors and scientists have not yet fully understood. Literally half a century ago, the female body and some of its derivatives were covered in a veil of secrets and questions. They didn’t talk about this out loud, they just whispered and guessed.

Now almost every woman in a developing country knows what periods, fertility, ovulation and menopause are. But, unfortunately, if you dig a little deeper into their knowledge, not everyone will be able to answer questions related to “women’s” topics. This means that sometimes a woman does not have time to fully prepare for a particular period of life. Hence fear, panic and even depression.

In this article we will talk in detail about menopause, because it is this period of women’s lives that causes the most concern and questions.

The concept of menopause and its stages

Menopause is a period of hormonal changes in the life of a mature woman. Sooner or later it happens to everyone. The body sends a signal that the ovaries have completed their reproductive cycle and no longer produce eggs.

Stages of menopause by age

Since menopause is primarily a hormonal change, along with the loss of fertility, a woman loses her natural beauty. In other words, he is getting old.

But there is no need to panic ahead of time, but there is no need to create illusions that this will not affect you.

Before you panic or jump to conclusions, read this article carefully and you will see that everything is not as scary as it seems.

Some women believe that menopause only affects those over 50, not realizing that it comes much earlier.

About 70% of women believe that hormonal changes occur in just a couple of years. This is wrong. Menopause can last 15 years, and only then the body stops reproductive function completely. That is, the ovaries will “dry out”. But at its first stage, you even have a chance of getting pregnant. However, this is fraught with serious consequences for you and your fetus.

Gynecologists distinguish three stages of menopause. Each of these stages takes place over 5 to 10 years, depending on the condition of your body and the initial amount of hormones released. These stages include premenopause, menopause and postmenopause. Each of them is characterized by certain symptoms, but they do not always manifest themselves clearly and clearly.

Stages of menopause

There are three known stages of menopause, which manifest themselves differently at different periods of life. You need to pay close attention to each of them, because your future condition, well-being and comfort of life depend on your actions.

Period 1 – Premenopause

It's time to pay more attention to your health. As a rule, the stage begins in women 40–45 years old and can last up to 10 years. At this time, the likelihood of getting pregnant is extremely low, but it still exists. However, this is not the best idea.

As soon as you notice any changes in the body characteristic of the initial period of menopause, contact your gynecologist to prescribe replacement therapy. Otherwise, if you leave everything to chance and give up, perimenopause can negatively affect the condition of your nervous system, bone tissue and cardiovascular system.

All symptoms and signs can be minimized if observed by a competent specialist.

The first signs of premenopause:

  • menstrual instability (menstruation comes later or earlier, the number of days does not last);
  • frequent urination;
  • excessive sensitivity to cold or heat;
  • weight gain (may be slight);
  • deterioration of skin condition.

Period 2 – Menopause

During this period, it is safe to say that the woman no longer has the ability to give birth to children. It occurs closer to 50 years, or more precisely in the period 49–55 years. The woman sees internal and external changes that a lack of progesterone entails, and the ovaries begin to wrinkle.

The most striking sign of menopause is the so-called hot flashes. This is a reaction of the nervous system that controls heat exchange in the body. The hot flashes last only a couple of minutes, then normality sets in. At this time, the woman feels discomfort, pressure appears in the head, a rapid heartbeat and light perspiration appears. At such moments, it is better to sit down, calm down and breathe deeply.

Promising anti-wrinkle and anti-aging creams will not help in the fight for youth. They will only moisturize the skin. Changes occur inside the body.

Signs of menopause:

  • absence of menstruation;
  • skin aging;
  • tides;
  • lack of lubrication in the vagina (sex becomes more difficult, even if you still want to);
  • bone fragility.

Period 3 – Postmenopause

This stage begins in women at approximately 55 years of age and lasts until the ovaries completely stop (about 6 years). After this period, we can confidently say that the woman has grown old.

If you don’t want to look like a “grandmother,” then you need to monitor your health, regularly visit a gynecologist and endocrinologist, exercise, eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Although it is better to start it as early as possible.

Signs of postmenopause:

  • the pubis goes down;
  • lubrication in the vagina completely disappears;
  • hair is thinning;
  • vision deteriorates;
  • body weight increases.

As soon as you feel changes in your body, consult a doctor. In this case, you will be able to postpone your old age for a while.

How to recognize menopause?

We have already talked about the first symptoms of menopause earlier. But it is not always possible to notice the first symptoms based only on how you feel. A woman’s age also does not always indicate that she has begun menopause, because it can be early or late. Menopause can come and not manifest itself at first.

Check your health thoroughly, as irregular and intermittent periods may not indicate menopause, but serious illnesses.

Therefore, it is important after 40 years to regularly take hormone tests, which will help you and your doctor accurately track the progress of menopause and prescribe the right treatment. The onset of menopause is especially noticeable due to the complete lack of interest in intimate life with a spouse. If before I sometimes wanted to, now even if I want to, it’s not so simple.

Symptoms of menopause

Each woman's symptoms may manifest themselves individually. It all depends on your body. The most striking and common symptoms include:

  • “jumping” hormones (indicators in the morning and evening are very different);
  • tides;
  • nervous instability (constant mood changes);
  • lack of sexual desire;
  • unstable periods;
  • deterioration of skin condition.

During the onset of menopause, the body is most susceptible to the manifestation of cancer.

A harbinger of menopause can also be a lack of desire to please men. That is why grandmothers don’t care how they dress, as long as they are warm and cozy. But this can be avoided by simply taking care of your health. Menopause is just a period of life, not the end of the world!

If you notice all of these symptoms before age 40 or after age 55, then it is likely that you fall into the small percentage of women who experience early or late menopause.

Causes of early and late menopause

The causes of early or late menopause may be hereditary predisposition and serious hormonal imbalances in your body.

Women at risk for early menopause are those who:

  • Pathologies of the thyroid gland (diabetes, obesity).
  • Gynecological diseases (including cancer).
  • Frequent abortions.
  • Regular stress.
  • Unhealthy lifestyle (bad habits, lack of sleep, non-compliance with work and rest schedules).

In Japan, women endure menopause more easily because they eat seafood, which contains a lot of protein and nutrients.

If a woman begins menopause closer to 60 years of age, then it is considered late. On the one hand, this is good, but only in the case of genetic predisposition. Otherwise, this may indicate serious diseases, including oncology.

Tides

Hot flashes are the most common and striking symptom that scares all women. It occurs during menopause and postmenopause. It lasts no longer than a couple of minutes, and if you have not heard of it, its manifestation may even scare you.

A hot flash is nothing more than a reaction of the nervous system to hormonal changes. Simply put, this is a short-term failure in thermoregulation.

Hot flashes manifest themselves basically like this:

  • slight cloudiness;
  • heat in the upper body;
  • redness of the face and chest;
  • often accompanied by sweating and rapid heartbeat;
  • a feeling of anxiety may arise.

Hot flashes are not dangerous to health, but are very unpleasant for any woman. There are a number of reasons that can aggravate its manifestation or make hot flashes a regular guest in your life. These reasons include:

  • Strong emotional experiences.
  • Consumption of spicy foods, coffee and alcohol.
  • Dietary supplements to speed up metabolism and some other medications.
  • Too warm clothes or stuffy room (bus full in summer).
  • Some diseases.

You can alleviate the manifestation of hot flashes by eliminating the above reasons for their aggravation. If they constantly torment you or cause severe discomfort, your doctor should prescribe medications that are aimed at eliminating the symptoms.

Treatment and prevention of menopause

Menopause is not a disease. This is a natural process in the life of every woman. Sooner or later it will come. You can try to relieve its symptoms and improve or maintain your quality of life.

In a good way, it is better to prevent the manifestations of menopause as early as possible. It's good if you think about it when you're 35. But it's never too late to start. A healthy lifestyle will benefit you at any age.

  • High-quality prevention consists of 3 components:
  • 1) Proper nutrition.
  • The body begins to store fats, and the body gains weight. Therefore, it is important to eat high-quality food, that is, one that will benefit you:
  • lean meat or poultry;
  • seafood;
  • fruits;
  • vegetables;
  • eggs, cottage cheese.

Forget about fast food, fatty pies and unhealthy cakes. Remember the golden rule of the plate: 70% - vegetables, 20% - protein (chicken, fish, meat), 10% - carbohydrates (side dish).

2) Physical activity.

This could be long walks in the park or light exercise. Even a 20-minute exercise in the morning will do. The main thing is regularity. There is no need to be too zealous if you have led a sedentary lifestyle before. Sign up for a swimming pool, yoga or joint exercises.

3) Replacement therapy.

In other words, treatment with special drugs. But don't self-medicate! Do everything with the permission of your doctor.

Drugs

Based on research and tests, your doctor should prescribe hormone replacements that your body has practically stopped secreting. As a rule, herbal or homeopathic preparations are prescribed. Hormonal ones are much more serious and are prescribed only when necessary.

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We recommend that you turn your attention to herbal preparations, since homeopathy is still a controversial area in the medical field. In other words, homeopathy can be called a placebo.

Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine that uses highly diluted substances in water.

The most popular herbal preparations are Qi-klim, Feminal, Klimadion.

Each period of life is beautiful and unique in its own way. Yes, menopause means that your body is no longer capable of producing offspring. But how you feel internally is an indicator of your mental youth or old age. Everything depends on you!

A person ages when he stops developing and becoming interested in something. As a rule, women at 50 never get bored! There, the grandchildren were waiting for the game, and it’s time to start traveling and finally make their dreams come true!

Source: https://welady.ru/klimaksy-zhenshhin-simptomy-vozrast

What is menopause and how to reduce the risk of its early onset

Menopause is a period of transition of the female body from childbearing age to an age with extinguished reproductive function (cessation of menstruation). The onset of menopause most often occurs between the ages of 45 and 50. Although there are cases of onset at 40 years of age. Rarely, but it happens before forty.

When women ask the question - what is menopause and what is characteristic of this period, they are most concerned about hot flashes during menopause and constant headaches. Moreover, the intensity of the tides is different for everyone. Moreover, this unpleasant condition can occur periodically over a long period of time. For example, 3 - 7 times a day for twenty years.

Another side effect of the condition is menopausal cleansing (aka diagnostic cleansing). An unpleasant procedure for actual abortion in the event of bleeding during the onset of menopause.

It should be borne in mind that the cessation of menstruation does not always correspond to the onset of menopause. The gynecologist will first find out the reason for the stop.

Menopause - what is it?

Menopause is a biological event accompanied by the decline of reproductive function due to age-related changes. Less commonly, menopause can be caused by early ovarian failure or oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries).

For reference. The date of menopause is calculated retrospectively, after a year of complete absence of menstruation.

Physiological (natural) menopause usually occurs by age fifty. If menstruation stops before 45, they speak of early menopause. Stopping menstruation before age 40 is considered premature menopause.

Despite the fact that menopause is a biologically based condition, it was noted in the classifier of diseases (code in ICD 10 - N 95.1). Its onset is often accompanied by the development of menopausal syndrome (CS).

The main manifestations of CS are considered to be hot flashes, headaches, emotional and cognitive disturbances, atrophic changes in the mucous membrane of the genitourinary organs, and decreased bone density.

Causes of menopause

The main cause of physiological menopause is the natural age-related decline in hormonal and reproductive function.

  • heredity;
  • ovarian diseases;
  • severe underweight;
  • genetic abnormalities accompanied by severe impairment of the hormone-synthesizing function of the ovaries;
  • severe stress, autoimmune diseases, concomitant pathologies of the thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus;
  • taking estrogen antagonists;
  • chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

For reference. Obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcoholism, and drug use also accelerate the onset of menopause.

Classification

During the menopause, the following are distinguished:

  • premenopause is the time interval between the appearance of the first symptoms of menopause until the disappearance of the last menstruation;
  • menopause is the first year from the moment of disappearance of menstruation (calculated from the date of the last menstruation);
  • perimenopause is the period of premenopause and the first year after menopause;
  • postmenopause is the time period from menopause to 65-69 years.

The time periods into which the menopause period is divided are relative. For each woman these periods are individual. However, dividing menopause into periods is important for displaying morphofunctional changes in the reproductive system.

For reference. This classification is convenient from a clinical point of view, since each stage has its own specific symptoms and complications.

First signs of menopause

For most women, by the age of 40-45, the so-called period of menopausal transition begins. It is not included in the concept of premenopause and is manifested by mild and nonspecific symptoms.

  • scanty menstruation;
  • delayed menstruation;
  • change in the cycle towards increasing the time between menstruation.

In some cases, patients may be bothered by inter-cycle bleeding or the appearance of scanty brownish discharge.

Symptoms of estrogen deficiency are often observed against the background of menstrual irregularities. Women are concerned about dry skin, brittle hair and nails, vaginal dryness, decreased sexual desire, irritability and nervousness. Sleep disturbances and pain during sexual intercourse may occur.

Tachycardia, increased sweating, increased blood pressure, headaches, and nausea are less common.

Due to a decrease in the level of sex hormones and constant dryness of the mucous membrane of the genitourinary system, recurrent urethritis , cystitis and vaginitis , manifested by frequent and painful urination, dryness and burning in the urethra and vagina, and pain above the pubis.

Symptoms of premature and early menopause

Premature and early menopause are always more severe than physiological menopause. There is often no period of menopausal transition.

Symptoms of menopause progress quickly and are more pronounced than during physiological menopause.

With early and premature menopause, patients are often concerned about:

  • increased blood pressure (arterial hypertension during early menopause is difficult to respond to antihypertensive therapy);
  • irritability, restlessness, anxiety, depressive attacks, panic attacks are less common;
  • sleep disorders and insomnia;
  • increased sweating;
  • the appearance of menopausal hot flashes (feelings of heat in the body, often accompanied by redness of the face and neck);
  • vaginal dryness caused by mucosal atrophy and the development of atrophic cervicitis and colpitis;
  • pain during sexual intercourse;
  • pain and burning when urinating, frequent urge to urinate.

In severe cases of menopausal syndrome, there is a pronounced weakening of the ligaments of the pelvic floor muscles, leading to prolapse of the uterus, as well as a decrease in bone density associated with the leaching of calcium from the bones.

For reference. It should also be noted that a woman who goes through early menopause will not necessarily experience all of these symptoms. Manifestations of menopause and their severity vary from person to person.

In some patients, it occurs in a milder form, manifested only by hot flashes, irritability, vaginal dryness and decreased sexual desire.

Some patients may develop severe menopausal syndrome, accompanied by severe urogenital disorders, decreased bone density and hypertensive crises.

Menopause symptoms by phase

After the period of premenopausal transition, the development of premenopause is noted. At this stage, patients are concerned about persistent cycle disorders and dryness of the mucous membranes of the genitourinary tract.

  • Complaints of dry eye conjunctiva, rapid eye fatigue, and a feeling of sand under the eyelids are often noted (these sensations are associated with the development of dry eye syndrome).
  • Due to vaginal dryness, recurrent thrush may develop.
  • A decrease in estrogen levels is also accompanied by nervousness, sleep disturbances, frequent mood swings, increased irritability, suspiciousness and a tendency to hypochondria.

Menopause phase

The menopause phase is accompanied by a complete absence of menstruation for at least 12 months.

At this stage, there is a persistent pronounced decrease in the level of sex hormones, leading to:

  • increased dryness of the skin and mucous membranes of the eye conjunctiva;
  • deterioration of hair growth, dryness and brittleness of hair;
  • gradual atrophy of the mucous membrane of the genitourinary system, the development of atrophic urethritis, cystitis, colpitis and cervicitis, manifested by dysuric disorders, dryness and burning in the vagina and urethra, pain in the lower abdomen;
  • decreased sexual desire and discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse;
  • the appearance of menopausal hot flashes;
  • increased blood pressure;
  • the appearance of tachycardia, rhythm disturbances, shortness of breath;
  • bloating, decreased appetite, and bouts of nausea;
  • frequent headaches;
  • decreased memory, deterioration in the ability to remember information or learn new material.

An increase in the level of triglycerides and bad cholesterol in the blood is also typical. This is due to the fact that estrogens act as a protective factor that prevents the development of atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, and thrombosis.

Important. A decrease in the level of female sex hormones during menopause leads to the development of atherosclerosis and increased blood clotting, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular complications.

Another specific complication of menopause is a decrease in bone density, accompanied by an increased risk of developing arthrosis, osteoporosis, and fractures due to minor injuries.

Postmenopausal symptoms

This phase of menopause has no specific symptoms. The severity of postmenopausal symptoms depends on the severity of the menopausal syndrome in the initial phases of menopause.

With smoothed symptoms or in the absence of menopausal syndrome, a woman may not experience postmenopausal symptoms at all.

In severe climacteric syndrome, symptoms of menopausal complications come to the fore.

For reference. When the cardiovascular system is damaged, persistent arterial hypertension is most often observed, manifested by increased blood pressure (blood pressure), headaches, nausea, and weakness. The development of a hypertensive crisis is characterized by the flickering of spots before the eyes, severe nausea, vomiting, weakness, panic attacks, severe headache and eye pain.

The development of atherosclerosis does not have specific symptoms until complications develop (stroke, heart attack, thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities).

It should be noted that women who are overweight have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Also, in obese patients, the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is more often recorded. Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include increased thirst, itching of the skin and mucous membranes, frequent recurrent thrush , decreased immunity, and frequent night urination.

Emotional-cognitive disorders in the postmenopausal period can manifest as memory loss, absent-mindedness, deterioration in the ability to assimilate new information, inability to concentrate, sleep disturbances and frequent insomnia.

Diagnosis of menopause

The diagnosis of menopause can be made a year after the complete absence of menstruation.

For reference. Additionally, to confirm the diagnosis, a hormonal study can be performed (most often in early or premature menopause).

The menopause period is characterized by such changes as:

  • persistent decrease in estradiol levels below 80 pmol per liter;
  • increase in FGS level and decrease in LH/FGS index ≤1
  • decrease in estradiol/estrone index ≤1
  • development of relative hyperandrogenism or androgen deficiency;
  • decrease in SHBG and inhibin levels.

For timely detection of complications, it is recommended to conduct an ECG, biochemical blood test, coagulogram, and determination of the lipid profile.

The severity of menopause is also determined using the Kupperman index.

Menopause treatment

  • severe menopausal disorders (hot flashes, arterial hypertension, insomnia, heart rhythm disturbances);
  • development of atrophic changes in the mucous membrane of the genitourinary organs;
  • prolapse or prolapse of the uterus;
  • urinary incontinence;
  • the need to prevent osteoporosis, arthrosis, and fractures.

In addition to hormonal therapy, courses of sedatives, antioxidants, and special vitamin complexes are indicated.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition (eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, avoiding the abuse of sweets), avoiding alcoholic beverages and smoking can reduce the risk of early menopause.

Adequate sleep and normalization of physical activity are also recommended (with an active lifestyle, the risk of early menopause is lower).

Source: https://venerbol.ru/klimaks/menopauza.html

Symptoms of menopause in women

Last update: 12/04/2019

Author of the article

Gartleb Oksana

Obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category, Head of the gynecological department of the Medgard-Saratov network of multidisciplinary clinics

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The content of the article

 

Dryness of the intimate area during menopause?

Effective means

The appearance of the first symptoms of menopause often causes anxiety in women. However, this is an absolutely normal physiological condition caused by age-related changes in the body, so the onset of menopause should not cause anxiety, much less fear.

A healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and exercise will help reduce the unpleasant signs of menopause and menopause, and following medical recommendations will help you cope with health problems if they arise.

From this article you will learn what menopause is, what the most common symptoms of menopause are, how long it lasts and in what cases it is recommended to seek medical help.

What is menopause in women: symptoms, age, treatment of possible problems

Menopause (menopause) is a period of gradual decline in the body's reproductive function, which is caused by a decrease in the production of sex hormones.

At this stage, menstrual flow (months) becomes irregular, scanty and eventually stops.

This occurs due to a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, depletion of the follicular reserve of the ovaries during menopause, and their atrophy, which leads to a decrease in their weight and size by almost half.

Signs of menopause (Climax), as well as the time of their first appearance, vary and are individual for each woman. 

Some may complain of hot flashes, headaches, unstable blood pressure, while others may practically not notice changes in their own body, except for the cessation of menstruation, that is, this period passes without symptoms. If the symptoms of the onset of menopause cause a deterioration in a woman’s quality of life, then appropriate therapy is prescribed, which will be discussed below.

When do the first signs of menopause appear: the age of women

The time of onset of this period is individual for each woman and depends on a number of factors (heredity, general health, number of births in history).

On average, the age at which the first symptoms of menopause appear is 50 years, but in some cases, the onset of menopause can be observed at both 40 and 60 years.

 The greatest intensity of menopause symptoms usually persists for a year, after which it gradually decreases and ends.

Separately, it is worth noting early menopause. Symptoms of this condition can begin as early as 28-30 years of age. If the first signs of menopause occur so early, there is a risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis at a young age.

Expert opinion

The onset of early menopause quite often coincides with a woman’s period of social and sexual activity. Therefore, reducing the intensity of menopause symptoms is important not only from a medical but also from a social point of view.

Obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category Oksana Anatolyevna Gartleb

The first symptoms of menopause in women aged 40-50: how does menopause begin?

Among the main signs of menopause after 40, which appear first, are the following:

  • Hot flashes, sweating. Hot flashes are the first signs of menopause, which 75-85% of women experience. Hormonal changes in the body during menopause affect thermoregulation processes. As a result of changes in hormonal levels during menopause, a woman may suddenly experience bouts of fever, which usually last several minutes and go away on their own. The mechanism of their occurrence is associated with the effect of estrogens on the hypothalamus, which contains the thermoregulation center that controls the processes of retaining heat by the body. When the amount of estrogen decreases during menopause, signals are sent to the hypothalamus that the body is overheating, which results in increased sweating and dilation of peripheral blood vessels. At such moments, the woman’s face and neck turn red, beads of sweat appear on the skin, the heartbeat quickens, dizziness, nausea and weakness may be present. At the end of the attack, profuse cold sweat may appear, accompanied by trembling.
  • Heart rhythm disturbances during menopause. Tachycardia during menopause is caused by a decrease in estrogen levels, which normally affects the maintenance of normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
  • Dizziness, headache. These symptoms of incipient menopause can be caused by high/low blood pressure, as well as its sudden changes.
  • Forgetfulness. Changes in hormonal levels lead to a decrease in vascular tone and affect cerebral circulation, which is why women during menopause complain of memory problems.
  • Unstable emotional background during menopause. A decrease in the level of estrogen and endorphins leads to tearfulness, irritability and excessive sentimentality.
  • Lack of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). Symptoms of hypothyroidism in menopausal women include apathy, difficulty concentrating, and hair loss.
  • Vaginal dryness, itching and burning in the vagina during menopause. Due to a decrease in estrogen levels, there is a decrease in the production of natural vaginal lubrication, the intensity of blood flow in the vessels of the vaginal walls decreases, and thinning of the mucosa occurs. All this leads to dryness and itching; intimacy during menopause causes painful sensations.
  • Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the dangerous symptoms of menopause that can lead to bone fractures. The reason for the decrease in bone density is the gradual leaching of calcium from the body, as well as a disruption in the absorption of phosphorus and vitamin D, a lack of silicon, boron, fluorine, magnesium and manganese.
  • Gaining excess weight. Weight changes are explained by a decrease in the rate of metabolic processes, an attempt to compensate adipose tissue for extragonadal synthesis of sex hormones, which is one of the characteristic symptoms of female menopause.
  • Decreased skin tone. One of the functions of estrogens is to maintain the elasticity of the skin. As the production of these hormones decreases, skin tone deteriorates, resulting in wrinkles, dryness, and flaking during menopause.
  • The occurrence of mastopathy and chest pain due to ongoing hormonal changes. 

Problematic features of menopause in women: symptoms and treatment

In some cases, the manifestations of menopause cause a woman such a severe deterioration in her quality of life that she has to seek medical help to reduce them. Below you will find general information regarding the treatment of menopausal symptoms, but remember that treatment should be prescribed by a specialist.  

Self-medication can lead to new health problems and worsening symptoms of menopause.

For frequent and intense hot flashes that cause physical and emotional discomfort to a woman, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) medications may be prescribed.

They contain analogues of sex hormones - both plant and synthetic origin.

More often it is a combined drug based on estrogen and progesterone, which has a protective effect on the uterus (endometrium) and mammary glands.

To achieve the best results, it is advisable to start taking hormone replacement drugs at the very beginning of menopause, when its first symptoms appear. The dosage and regimen should be drawn up by a doctor, taking into account the woman’s general health, medical history, age, TSH, FSH levels.

Despite the fact that menopausal hormone therapy can reduce the unpleasant symptoms of menopause, in some cases its prescription is impossible.

We are talking about absolute contraindications to taking MHT - such as heart attack (Infarctus) and/or stroke (Insultus), deep vein thrombosis, renal or liver failure, hormone-dependent oncological diseases, autoimmune diseases.

Preparations based on phytoestrogens, for example, Climafemin Ginocomfort, act as an effective alternative to MHT.

This is a dietary supplement that contains the phytoestrogen genistein, an organic substance that helps reduce hot flashes and sweating, normalizes metabolism and hormonal levels, and improves sleep quality.

In addition to genistein, the product contains active ingredients such as vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and grape seed extract. All of them have a beneficial effect on a woman’s body, helping to preserve youth and normal well-being.

Treatment of hypertension during menopause

If the symptoms of menopause are accompanied by increased blood pressure, treatment may also include taking antihypertensive drugs (diuretics and diuretics).

Normalization of psycho-emotional state

If during menopause a woman experiences serious emotional instability, even to the point of developing depressive states, she may be recommended sedatives, and in especially severe cases, antidepressants.

Therapy for osteoporosis during menopause

To combat such a symptom of menopause in women as osteoporosis, bisphosphonates, calcitonin, strontium preparations, fluoride salts, vitamin-mineral complexes and nutritional supplements containing boron, calcium, vitamins K1 and D are prescribed.

During menopause, it is recommended to include in the diet foods rich in calcium and vitamin D (milk, hard cheese, poppy and sesame seeds, soy, nuts, fresh herbs, fish; beef and pork liver, egg yolks, fish oil, cod liver and halibut, butter). 

To reduce the manifestations of osteoporosis during menopause, it is necessary to stop smoking, since tobacco helps remove calcium from the body.

To solve the problem of vaginal dryness caused by the onset of menopause, you can use special intimate gels. For example, you can use the Gynocomfort moisturizing gel, which provides relief from natural vaginal secretions and eliminates itching, dryness, burning and irritation in the vagina.

This product was tested during clinical studies conducted at the Department of Dermatovenereology with the clinic of St. Petersburg State Medical University, under the leadership of Ignatovsky A.V. and Sokolovsky E.V. Clinical studies have shown that due to the components included in the gel, the use of the product helps to achieve good hydration.

Neurologist Dmitry Shubin and the appearance of menopause. Live healthy!

The mucus-like consistency of mallow extract, which is part of the product, envelops and moisturizes the mucous membrane of the vulva, has a mild soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on it.

Chamomile extract has a beneficial effect on existing microcracks, promoting their speedy regeneration. Panthenol and bisabolol eliminate irritation and have antibacterial properties.

 Moisturizing gel "Ginocomfort" was developed by specialists from a pharmaceutical company and has the necessary certificates of conformity.

Also, during menopause, a gynecologist may recommend the use of vaginal suppositories containing herbal or synthetic analogues of sex hormones. Some folk remedies for treating crisis symptoms can also be extremely effective. But it is better to coordinate everything with your doctor.

The use of such products helps to normalize the thickness of the mucous membrane during its atrophy, enhance the formation of vaginal secretions, and maintain an optimal level of acidity.

With the onset of menopause, it is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations:

  • Move more, engage in feasible sports and physical exercise.
  • Master breathing and relaxation techniques
  • Eat right and stay hydrated.
  • Exercise your brain (read, solve crosswords, learn foreign languages).
  • Perform exercises that train fine motor skills.

Remember: a correct lifestyle and timely consultation with a doctor if necessary will allow you to reduce unpleasant symptoms during menopause!

Sources:

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  2. MODEL OF SPECIALIZED CARE FOR WOMEN WITH Climacteric Disorders. Kholodova L.N., Protopopova N.V., Kravchuk L.A., Sharifulin M.A. // Siberian Medical Journal (Irkutsk). – 2004. – P. 76-77.
  3. Guide to outpatient care in obstetrics and gynecology / ed. V. E. Radzinsky. — 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2014. - 944 p.  
  4. Gynecology: textbook. for universities / ed. G.M. Savelyeva, V.G. Breusenko. — 4th ed., revised. and additional - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2012. - 432 p. : ill.
  5. https://www.medicinenet.com/menopause/article.htm
  6. Menopausal syndrome. EAT. Vikhlyaeva // Guide to endocrine gynecology. - M.: MIA. - 1998. - P. 603-650.

  7. Therapy of depressive disorders in general medical practice. Dubnitskaya, E.B. A.V. Andryushchenko // Modern psychiatry. – 1998. – No. 2. – pp. 10-14.

  8. Menopause and perimenopausal period. R.B. Jaffe // Reproductive endocrinology. Edited by S.S.K. Yen, R.B. Jaffe. – M.: Medicine. - 1998. - T.2. – pp. 560-586.  

  9. https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/are-we-there-…
  10. https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/symptoms-signs
  11. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/menopause/menopausesymptoms
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Hello, hot flashes have begun, mood changes have begun, (menopause) the uterus has been removed due to mime. What can you take in combination with vitamins to reduce this condition? You can start taking Ginocomfort climafemin 1t once a day for 3 months to relieve vegetative storms.

Hello, burning sensation in the vagina, menopause, the doctor prescribed Levomekol ointment, what else can I use? Hello! In your case, you can use Ginocomfort gel with mallow extract, 1 dose 1 time per day for 10 days, and then 2 times a week for a long time. This product contains herbal components, bisabolol and panthenol, which will moisturize and restore the mucous membranes of the genital tract. In the absence of contraindications, it is possible to use estriol-containing drugs, for example Ornion cream, which will be etiotropic therapy.

   

Hello! Surgical menopause, breast cancer in 2011. I suffer from vaginal dryness, periodic cystitis and constant vaginitis after each sexual intercourse.

What prevention methods are possible? After every contact? During menopause, you can use products that do not contain hormonal components. In the Gynocomfort line, this requirement is met by a gel with mallow extract.

This will help not only moisturize the mucous membranes, but also restore elasticity and aid in regeneration. The gel can be used both before contact and as needed without a time limit.

Hello, I’m 47 years old, menopause has been going on for 5 years now, at 42 it ended and that’s it, at first I didn’t take anything, the condition worsened, hot flashes and mood swings, poor sleep. 3 years ago, on the doctor’s recommendation, I took Femoston 1/5 for a year.

I took it for 1 year, felt good, stopped taking it, after all, it’s hormones, now I feel bad again.

hot flashes, increased blood pressure, palpitations, poor sleep, hot flashes mainly at night and depression, tell me Ginocomfort Klimafemin could help me or should I take Femoston again? Hello! At this stage, you can start by taking Gynocomfort climafemin.

This will improve your well-being and you will have time to conduct additional examinations before resuming menopausal hormone therapy, if necessary: ​​pelvic ultrasound, mammography, lipid spectrum, general blood test, TSH level, consultation with a therapist and obstetrician-gynecologist, smears for flora and oncocytology.

For an accurate diagnosis, contact a specialist

Online consultation with a specialist on the website

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Source: https://ginokomfort.ru/spravochnik/simptomy-klimaksa/

Menopause and its first precursors: how to determine the onset of menopause + first signs in women

Menopause is a physiological process that every woman experiences from 40 to 60 years old. This range in age is associated with the individual characteristics of the body, living conditions, genetic predisposition and other factors.

A woman’s purpose is procreation, motherhood; it is inherent in nature that at a certain period the reproductive function begins to gradually fade away.

Hormones play a leading role here; it is with a decrease in the production of female sex hormones in the ovaries (estrogens, estradiol) that a radical restructuring of the female body occurs. It is called menopause or menopause and brings a lot of inconvenience and anxiety to the weaker sex. This period is accompanied by certain symptoms.

What is menopause and its phases

Menopause is not a disease, but the beginning of the attenuation of characteristic female characteristics, an indicator that the possibility of new motherhood is becoming less and less. Restructuring the body in a new way affects all systems and organs.

This process lasts for more than a year and goes through 3 stages.:

  1. The first is called perimenopause . Around the age of forty, the level of estrogen in the blood begins to decrease. This leads to destabilization of the menstrual cycle: its frequency, duration, and intensity of discharge changes.
  2. Menopause is the second period, it begins with the complete cessation of menstruation, its duration is usually considered to be a year. This is the most difficult time for a woman, when the restructuring is quite intense, and she has to adapt to new sensations.
  3. Postmenopause . It occurs one year after the last menstruation. The level of estrogen at the beginning is half the original level, and their production stops completely. This phase is characterized by a restructuring of the endocrine system, so you should be wary of pathologies of the thyroid gland and associated disorders of the cardiovascular system.

How not to grow old during menopause, read here.

When and how does it occur in women?

There are no strict time criteria for the onset of menopause, as for any physiological process. For some ladies, the process of restructuring goes almost unnoticed, while others suffer from its painful symptoms.

In many ways, the moment of menopause is determined by hereditary factors. It is generally accepted that on average it occurs by age 50.

But recently there has been a “rejuvenation” of this process, so it is important to know how to determine it.

There is a theory that the onset of menopause is predetermined during the period of intrauterine development . A certain number of eggs are laid in the ovaries of a developing girl.

They are consumed during her reproductive period. Some, maturing monthly, leave the ovarian follicle, and some die for physiological reasons before reaching maturity. But their numbers are decreasing year by year.

And when reserves are depleted, menopause occurs.

The follicle acts as a kind of egg bank. During the reproductive period, it manages to mature 300-500 oocytes ready for fertilization.

Causes of early and late menopause

Early menopause is considered to be the manifestation of menopausal symptoms before the age of forty . The causes of this phenomenon can be hereditary and acquired. The first category includes various chromosomal pathologies. The acquired factors are very different in nature.

Also read about the symptoms of menopause after 40 years here.

Among them:

  • Hormonal pathologies of the thyroid gland, metabolic processes (diabetes mellitus, obesity) and others.
  • Gynecological diseases and the consequences of their treatment (chemotherapy, surgery, etc.).
  • Numerous abortions.
  • Unqualified hormonal contraception.
  • Bad habits (smoking, alcohol, etc.).
  • Oncological diseases.
  • Postponed surgeries.
  • Violations of work, rest and nutrition regimes.
  • Unfavorable climatic or environmental conditions.
  • Stress.

It, like early menopause, is often genetically predisposed. But this is not always a good thing for a woman.

Pathological causes of late menopause may be:

  • Gynecological diseases (uterine fibroids, ovarian dysfunction).
  • Some types of tumors are characterized by high levels of estrogen in the blood, as a result of which menstruation does not stop for a long time.
  • Previous gynecological operations using chemotherapy or radiation.
  • Long-term treatment with antibiotics or other drugs that affect reproduction.

Nutrition has a significant impact on the sexual sphere. It has been noticed that in Japan, menopause in women occurs late and is painless. This is due to the fact that their diet is dominated by seafood.

Harbingers

The first harbingers of the onset of menopause appear long before its onset. As a rule, women do not notice them. This is especially true for those who at the age of 30-40 suffered gynecological diseases (endometriosis), had problems with conception or pregnancy and childbirth.

The first sign of premenopause - instability of the menstrual cycle - in the modern world is increasingly lost against the background of many years of irregular periods in women of childbearing age..

Changes in the duration of menstruation, intensity of bleeding, missed periods and others that are characteristic of precursors are difficult to distinguish from signs of dysfunctional disorders occurring in them.

They are associated with stress, unfavorable ecology, frequent abortions and the not always justified use of hormonal drugs.

The onset of hormonal changes can be manifested by periods of shortening of the menstrual cycle to two to three weeks. And alternating missed periods result in bleeding. Over time, these pauses become more frequent.

In the early stages of menopause, PMS often worsens due to hormonal imbalance. At the same time, mood swings become more frequent, which can lead to depression.

Also read why basal temperature changes during menopause.

A decrease in estrogen levels also affects sex life. These ubiquitous hormones also control the hydration of the vaginal mucosa and the production of lubricant to reduce friction during intimacy. When this does not happen in time, discomfort, dryness in the intimate area and decreased interest in intimate relationships appear.

How to recognize?

Summarizing what was said earlier, we can understand that the beginning of menopause is considered to be premenopause. This process, which takes more than a year, is characterized by increasing pauses between menstruation, bleeding after them and scanty discharge during menstruation.

This is considered normal. But at the beginning of menopause, pathological disorders are also possible when estrogens, on the contrary, are produced intensively. This anxiety syndrome is called hyperestragenia.

In this case, menstruation becomes heavier and longer, and bleeding is also common. The mammary glands become enlarged, hardened, and touching them causes pain.

During a medical examination, fibroids and thickening of the uterine walls are detected.

Symptoms

Signs of menopause are divided into early and late. The earliest of them have already been mentioned.

It is also typical for her:

Late manifestations of menopause include various pathologies and diseases due to hormonal disorders. At risk are the cardiovascular, endocrine and skeletal systems, genitals, metabolic processes, skin and other organs and systems.

Is it possible to pause the start and how?

Manifestations of early menopause are a consequence of ovarian dysfunction. If its causes are not hereditary abnormalities that are difficult to correct, then in many cases hormone replacement therapy comes to the rescue . It is also effective for the prevention and suspension of many diseases of the reproductive system.

A rational, healthy and regular diet is very important.

We should not neglect proven folk remedies and herbal medicine. So, ginger can delay menopause. Strengthening and physical exercises, regular walking, and walks in the fresh air increase immunity, and therefore help strengthen the body in the fight against premature aging.

From the above, conclusions arise:

  1. Menopause is a physiological process, and there is no need to be afraid of it. It lasts for several years.
  2. The main role in it is played by hormonal changes and a decrease in estrogen production.
  3. The time of its onset and course are always individual, but it is unacceptable to ignore early menopause.
  4. Menopausal manifestations can be recognized by characteristic symptoms.
  5. To avoid early aging, you need to monitor your health, do not neglect physical activity and do not skip preventive examinations with a doctor.

Source: https://zhenskoe-zdorovye.com/ginekologija/klimaks/simptomy/predvestniki.html

Symptoms of menopause and the main stages of the physiological state Link to main publication
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