Aging is an inevitable step in everyone's life. Organs gradually reduce their functionality, parts of the body are physically degraded, and the process of withering of the body begins.
Menopause and menopause are considered one of the signs of aging in women. During this period, the release of gonadotropic hormones into the blood is significantly reduced, which is the main reason for the natural cessation of menstruation.
Menopause: definition and types
Menopause is the result of very complex processes that occur in the body of a woman. This stage is accompanied by complete or partial fading of ovarian function, which indicates the cessation of the woman's reproductive capabilities.
Depending on what causes this process, distinguish between pathological, physiological and artificial menopause.
Premature or pathological menopause can be a consequence of diseases of the female genital organs. For example, tumor formations can cause pathological changes that symptomatically resemble menopausal syndrome. At the same time, age is not perceived as an important characteristic, since the ailment can lie in wait for twenty years.
Artificial menopause usually occurs when exposed to the body from the outside: surgical intervention in the genitourinary system, chemical and radiation therapy, pronounced stress or traumatic effects. The most common cause of artificial menopause is the removal of organs of the reproductive system (ovaries or uterus).
Physiological menopause, unlike other forms, is a normal process, concluding the childbearing period.
The female hormone estradiol, necessary for menstruation and pregnancy, is primarily produced by the ovaries during the reproductive activity of the body. Over time, the reproductive system loses its ability to produce hormones, and the adrenal cortex partially takes over this function. Since the level of estradiol production is unstable, the menstrual cycles fluctuate for a while, and with a critical decrease in the hormone completely disappear, menopausal syndrome occurs. Age in this case plays an important but not decisive role. In most women, natural aging of the body occurs between 45 and 55 years. But this unpleasant moment can be delayed by adhering to several important rules:
- lead a healthy lifestyle;
- minimize the intake of fatty foods and alcohol;
- do physical exercises;
- spend at least two hours a day in the fresh air;
- avoid stress.
Age range
Menopause and menopause characterize the stage of the transition of the female body from the reproductive period to the moment of complete cessation of menstrual bleeding. This is a kind of step (this is how “climax” is translated from Latin), on which every woman steps at a certain moment. Contrary to popular belief, female menopause does not occur in all at the same time. The age range can vary and it depends on lifestyle, environmental factors, genetic predisposition.
Statistics show that menopause normally occurs between 45-55 years. It is this age that is the starting point for the extinction of female sexual functions. The appearance of menopause before the age of forty is considered early and requires attention to a woman’s health status.
It is known that the main causes of menopause are age-related changes in the female body, but in the modern world menopause can occur much earlier than the due date. Such a pathology may be due to a single negative factor or their combination.
For example, in non-smokers and women who do not abuse alcohol, the reproductive age is on average 2 years higher. The food that a woman eats is also important. To preserve youth, a special diet is needed, which includes vegetables and fruits and excludes fatty, excessively salty and smoked foods.
Psychological factors also play an important role. Many women who have experienced severe emotional shock experience menopause at a fairly early age. The first signs of menopause at 40 are not a terrible myth. Due to the constant emotional stress that lies in wait at every step, such situations are not uncommon for a modern woman.
Stages of menopause
Doctors call menopause a certain chain of physiological events that are stretched over time.
Hormonal restructuring of the body is divided into three main periods:
1) Premenopause is the process immediately preceding menopause. It starts at 40-45 years and lasts from three to five years.
Symptoms of the period are characterized by hormonal changes in the body: the follicle-forming function of the ovaries is gradually depleted, which leads to a disruption in the production of sex hormones. During premenopause and menopause, discharge is scarce, and the interval between cycles is two to three times the allowable. The ovulation stage with the release of the egg first decreases in time, and then completely disappears from the cycle, eliminating the possibility of becoming pregnant. Despite changes in the functionality of the ovaries, the structure of the uterus does not undergo key changes, and its endometrium retains its inherent properties.
2) Perimenopause is the period of cessation of menstrual flow. It lasts up to 12 months from the time of the last menstruation. In this case, the restructuring of the whole organism occurs.
3) Postmenopause is the final stage of hormonal restructuring of the female body, which originates from the 13th month after the cessation of menstruation and indicates a complete loss of the ability to bear children.
During this period, the body is most susceptible to the formation of atypical cells in the tissues, which is the main cause of cancer. In addition, due to age-related changes, the development of diseases that have not been observed previously is possible. In this regard, constant monitoring of hormone production and the overall health status of women is needed. The examination is recommended to be done at least 2 times a year.
Symptoms
The main signs of menopause testify to the onset of age-related changes in the female reproductive system. At 40 years of age, the symptomatic manifestations are practically no different from the symptoms with timely menopause.
The main symptoms of menopause:
1) Violation of the menstrual cycle or lack of menstruation. Due to the decrease in the level of sex hormones, the ability of the ovaries to reproduce the ovulation process is significantly reduced. This leads to a loss of reproductive function.
2) Hot flashes - a sudden burning sensation in the chest that spreads to the whole body. Hot flashes are often accompanied by excessive sweating and trembling, and subsequently - cold chills. Frequency of tides - 1 time in 1-2 hours, duration from 3 to 10 minutes.
3) Irritability, insomnia and depression are the result of hormonal changes in the body.
4) Dryness in the vagina. Due to a lack of the hormone estrogen , less secretory lubricant is secreted, as a result of which the vaginal mucosa dries.
5) Loss of sexual desire and interest in a partner. Dryness in the vagina causes discomfort during intercourse, the woman does not receive pleasure, therefore, begins to associate sex with torture. She ceases to show sexual activity and reacts with irritation to the initiative of a man.
6) Urinary incontinence occurs due to a sharp decrease in muscle tone of the genitourinary system. Especially often, such processes occur during coughing, sneezing, laughing and with other sharp stresses, which causes moral discomfort in women.
7) Lack or increase in appetite. Due to an unstable level of hormones, taste preferences and the required dosage of food can fluctuate. Sometimes a woman has an all-consuming feeling of hunger, and sometimes there is no appetite at all.
8) A significant change in body weight.
9) A feeling of chronic fatigue is characteristic of almost all women who go through this stage - menopausal syndrome. Age is not of paramount importance.
10) Fluctuations in blood pressure.
The presence of the above symptoms can accurately indicate one thing - menopausal syndrome has occurred. Age in this case has no clear boundaries, and can vary from 40 to 55 years.
It is noted that in half of the cases, menopausal syndrome begins to appear long before the onset of the first signs of menopause: there are problems with conceiving and then bearing a child, there is a frequent violation of the menstrual cycle, and sexual desire is dulled.
Menopause Complications: Bleeding and Concomitant Diseases
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the hormone estrogen for the female body. He is not only responsible for the reproductive function of women, but also affects the work of all life systems.
Menopause, reviews of its symptomatic manifestations overwhelming the Internet, is a test period during which the body adapts to new conditions.
Estrogen deficiency during this period causes not only a pathological change in tissues and organs, but also leads to psychological disorders due to vegetative-neurotic disorders. This can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, stroke, coronary disease and hypertension.
During menopause, a decrease in the immune defense of a woman’s body occurs. This can lead to the development of autoimmune and infectious diseases.
Menopausal bleeding is not normal, but about 40 percent of women have at least once encountered this pathological manifestation.
Menopausal bleeding is inherent mainly in women with early menopause. They are caused by a sharp fluctuation in hormone production and a violation of ovulation. The endometrium of the uterus is susceptible to pathological changes, as a result of which bleeding of various degrees of intensity can occur.
During this period, a thorough examination and constant medical supervision are necessary, since bleeding can indicate the development of malignant neoplasms in the uterus.
In severe menopausal bleeding, inpatient treatment is carried out using hormonal therapy.
Menopause diagnosis
The symptomatic manifestation of menopause passes in each woman individually, depending on the characteristics of the body.
Among the external signs, it is worth noting the violation of the menstrual cycle, the appearance of headaches, hot flashes, excessive irritability, mood swings and decreased sexual activity.
Laboratory signs of menopause are a decrease in estrogen production and an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone.
To confirm the beginning of the period, you need to contact a gynecologist, as well as an endocrinologist and conduct a laboratory study.
The simplest method for laboratory determination of menopause is a test for menopause. In appearance and method of application, it resembles a pregnancy test.
For its implementation, it is necessary to use the first morning urine, since it contains the highest level of hormones. The presence of follicle-stimulating hormone in the urine will indicate the onset of menopause.
The test must be performed at the first external signs of menopause. If the cycle is regular, you must do a test in the first days of the cycle and repeat the procedure after a week. With an irregular cycle, the period of the test is not important.
If the result of 2-3 tests is positive, you must consult a doctor who will conduct additional diagnostics and make appropriate appointments.
Menopausal Syndrome: Therapy
Symptoms of menopause can be expressed in varying degrees of severity, therefore, medications for menopause vary in their composition and effect on the body.
Even if the process of hormonal adjustment proceeds according to the normal schedule and pathologies do not appear, additional support of the body is required. In this case, it is necessary to take vitamin-mineral complexes that normalize metabolic processes in the body.
Vitamin complexes such as Menopause and Menopause have proven themselves well. They include multivitamins with micro and macro elements, which are sources of energy for the body, strengthen bones and the nervous system, prolong the life of the ovaries.
During menopause, it is also necessary to take symptomatic drugs that relieve external symptoms (soothing, sleeping pills, lowering blood pressure).
Non-hormonal agents based on herbal components are used to gently reduce menopause symptoms, for example, the dietary supplement ESTROVEL® capsules, a complex of phytoestrogens, vitamins and microelements whose components act on the main manifestations of menopause.
If the medicine is positively received by the body, menopause will be postponed, and all symptoms associated with menopause will be temporarily eliminated.
In case of serious complications during the menopausal period (obesity, exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis), hormone replacement therapy is prescribed, including taking drugs containing estrogen. These are: “Hormoplex”, “Proginova”, “Premarin” and “Estrofem”.
In addition, there are tools used for combination therapy, which are designed to eliminate discomfort at the initial stage of menopause and stabilize the menstrual cycle. Among such funds can be identified drugs "Klimonorm", "Klimen", "Femoston" and "Divitren."
When a woman develops menopause, it is recommended to take pills and other types of medications only after consultation with a doctor. Self-medication can aggravate symptoms and cause irreversible changes in the body.
Folk remedies that restore sexual function in menopause
Hormone therapy is undoubtedly effective, but it has a number of contraindications and is not accessible to everyone. In this case, herbal medicine comes to the rescue. In the piggy bank of alternative medicine, you can find recipes for tinctures and decoctions that can significantly alleviate the symptoms of menopause. The components are easy to find in any pharmacy, in addition, their cost is significantly lower than that of traditional medicine.
The most popular folk remedy for menopause, relieving hot flashes, is based on only three components: sage leaves, valerian roots and field horsetail grass. To prepare the broth, you need to take 2 tsp. each component, pour 3 tbsp. boiling water and insist for two hours. Take 1/3 cup three times a day.
Another folk remedy for menopause that helps minimize its pathological symptoms is a tincture of mountain ash. For its preparation, it is necessary to grind 200 g of fresh berries, then pour them with 1 liter of cognac. The infusion period is 2 weeks. It is necessary to take the drug for 1 tsp. 3-4 times a day. Since mountain ash is a natural energetic and a storehouse of useful substances, the intake of tincture will positively affect the work of the whole organism.
An excellent remedy, leveling the hormonal background with menopause, is a tincture of the root of the red brush. To prepare the medicine, you need to take 50 g of rhizomes and pour 1 liter of vodka. After a week of insisting, take 1 tbsp. l 3 times a day.
Diet and lifestyle for menopause
In the modern world, many women find menopausal syndrome quite early on. The manifestations of the first signs depend on the rhythm of life, nutrition, physical and emotional stress.
A fairly common cause of menopause is bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol, poor diet, hard diets, and a sedentary lifestyle.
During the menopause, a number of changes occur in the body, and to maintain its tone it is necessary to follow a certain diet and lifestyle changes.
First of all, it is necessary to normalize nutrition. It is especially important to reduce the consumption of fats, as during this period a woman can quickly gain excess weight.
It is necessary to exclude from the diet such products that contain "hidden fats." You should also refuse fast food. Food is preferable to use in a stew or boiled form, ideally - steamed.
With a decrease in estrogen in a woman’s body, the amount of calcium decreases, which leads to osteoporosis. Therefore, a woman during this period should eat fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products.
With menopause and menopause, a woman may develop irritability and insomnia caused by a lack of magnesium. Therefore, a woman should eat buckwheat, barley groats, seaweed, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, cashews, walnuts and pine nuts, as well as almonds.
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The main role in a woman’s life is procreation, that is, bearing and giving birth to a child. The most favorable period for this is in the range from 20 to 35 years. It is at this age that a woman is fully formed physically and morally, all her organs work at full capacity, the body is ready to provide the unborn child with all the necessary elements for normal development.
Pregnancy at a later age may carry a risk of pathological development of the fetus. Despite this, many women decide to have a baby even in the menopause.
Since the hormones estrogen and progesterone are responsible for the processes of conception and development of the fetus, then with a decrease in their production, the probability of conception is reduced. But this does not mean a complete loss of childbearing function. Modern drugs for menopause in women allow you to conceive and bear a child within two years after the onset of menopause. But is this risk warranted?
With the onset of menopause in the female body, a number of changes take place that adversely affect the development of the fetus: chronic diseases worsen, the emotional state is unstable, and the body’s internal reserves are running out. In this case, pregnancy and childbirth will be a serious test for both a woman and a child.