MENOPAUSE RELIEF, INFORMATION
Menopause (also known as the "Change of life" or climacteric)
is a stage of the human female reproductive cycle that occurs as the ovaries
stop producing estrogen, causing the reproductive system to gradually shut down.
As the body adapts to the changing levels of natural hormones, vasomotor
symptoms such as hot flashes and palpitations, psychological symptoms such as
increased depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and lack of
concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and urgency of
urination appear. Together with these symptoms, the woman may also have
increasingly scanty and erratic menstrual periods.
Technically, menopause refers to the ceasing of menses; whereas the gradual
process through which this occurs, which typically takes a year but may last as
little as six months or more than five years, is known as climacteric. Popular
use, however, replaces climacteric with menopause. Menopause can either be
natural or surgically induced. A natural or physiological menopause refers to
the ceasing of menses that is a part of a woman's normal ageing process.
However, a surgically induced menopause refers to the ceasing of menses for
reasons such as because the woman has had a previous hysterectomy.
The average onset of menopause is 50.5 years, but some women enter menopause at
a younger age, especially if they have suffered from cancer or another serious
illness and undergone chemotherapy. Premature menopause (or Premature Ovarian
Failure) is defined as menopause occurring before the age of 40, and occurs in
1% of women. Other causes of premature menopause include autoimmune disorders
like thyroid disease or diabetes mellitus. Premature menopause is diagnosed by
measuring the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing
hormone (LH); the levels of these hormones will be higher if menopause has
occurred. Rates of premature menopause have been found to be significantly
higher in both fraternal and identical twins; approximately 5% of twins reach
menopause before the age of 40. The reasons for this are not completely
understood. Cases of transplant of ovarian tissue between identical twins have
been successful in restoring fertility.
Post-menopausal women, especially Europeans, are at increased risk of
osteoporosis.
Menopause is rare in animal species. One possible explanation for its evolution
in humans is the grandmother hypothesis.
Treatment of symptoms
Medical treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed. Most notably,
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has been used to reduce the weakening of
bones (known as osteoporosis) and the risk of heart disease after menopause.
However, some women have resisted the implication that menopause is a disorder,
seeing it as a natural stage of life. There has also been scientific controversy
over whether the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. Specifically, recent
studies have suggested that HRT may increase women's risk for Alzheimer's
disease, breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.
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