Managing Menopause

Menopause is a natural biological process which is defined as starting 1 year after a woman’s last period.  In other words, menopause begins when a woman finally stop having periods.  However, there is a period of time leading up to this which is called peri-menopause where the woman starts to experience menopausal symptoms.  Peri-menopause usually begins between the ages of 45 to 55 years of age while menopause begins 1 year after your last period. 

Causes of Menopause

Most menopause are due to natural ageing process although some are caused by surgery to remove the ovaries (due to ovarian cancer or other reasons), chemotherapy for any cancers or radiation treatment for any cancers near the ovaries or Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (this is rare affecting only around 1% of menopause cases).

Symptoms

Here are some of the common symptoms which you may experience during menopause. The severity of each symptom may vary from person to person.  Some women may have no symptoms while others may have all these symptoms. 

• Irregular and Inconsistent periods
• Hot flashes or night sweats
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood change including increased irritability or mood swings
• Vaginal dryness
• Weight gain due to slower metabolism
• Thin and brittle hair
• Dry or itchy skin
• Dry vagina and loss of libido
• Loss of breast fullness

Medical Risks of Menopause

Menopause increases the risk of heart and bone disease because oestrogen has a protective effect on the heart and bone.  These are some of the health conditions which can affect women after menopause;

• Coronary heart disease risk for women increases to almost the same level as men
• Women have a higher risk of bone fractures due to osteoporosis after menopause
• Urinary incontinence is more common due to loss of tissue elasticity around the vagina and bladder
• Loss of libido and atrophic dry vagina makes sexual activity uncomfortable or even painful

Non-Medical Treatment

You should try to get plenty of rest and maintain regular sleep routines.  Doing relaxing activities such as yoga or medication can improve your mood and self esteem.  Get regular exercises especially weight-bearing type of activities such as walking or dancing where your bones can maintain their strength.  Eat a healthy diet and include calcium-rich food such as milk, yoghurt and kale to keep you bones strong.  

Menopause Hormone Treatment

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), when started within 10 years of the menopause (or under the age of 60), can help to reduce the health risks associated with heart disease and osteoporosis.  This treatment also helps to reduce the troublesome vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats and improve the quality of life after menopause.  HRT comes in several forms namely;

• Gels, patches or sprays (such as Divigel or Oestrogel)
• Vaginal pessary or cream (such as Premarin, Cyclogest, Crinone or Endometrin)
• Oral treatment (such as Femoston, Livial, Progynova, Premarin or Ultrogestan)

Risks of Hormone Treatment

There are some health risks when using HRT.  They include having an increased risk of breast cancer, blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and stroke.  These risks are less when the oestrogen treatment is taken through the skin in the form of patches, gels, sprays or intra-uterine compared to oral hormone treatment.  HRT is not advised in women who have the following risk factors; 

• Previous breast or uterine (endometrial) cancer
• Previous heart attack, strokes or transient ischemic attacks
• Previous blood clots
• Poorly controlled hypertension
• Severe liver disease

Discuss your Menopause Treatment options with your Family Doctor or Gynae Specialist

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Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.