No matter how humanity strives to circumvent it, a meeting with it is inevitable in any case. It's about old age. This natural process is characteristic of all living organisms, but women are most afraid of it. Most clearly, aging is noticeable when a woman has a menopausal period. The age when this happens can be different, but in most cases it is 48-50 years old.
Why arises?
A menopausal period occurs, primarily because the normal functioning of the ovaries ceases. From about 45-46 years old, the amount of hormones they produce (primarily progesterone, estradiol, androgens) begins to decrease, and in 5 years it reaches zero. At times the level of gonadotropins increases. Only single follicles remain in the ovaries, therefore, menstruation is absent, and accordingly, pregnancy becomes impossible. At the same time, the very appearance of the organs is changing. Due to the increase in connective tissue, the ovaries become smaller and with wrinkles. Due to the sharp decrease in estrogen in the menopausal period, various pathologies can occur in other tissues of the female body.
Menopausal syndrome and its symptoms
Unfortunately, the menopausal period does not pass without a trace. The consequence of the extinction of childbearing function and the development of the aging process is the emergence of a multifactorial disease. It is called menopausal syndrome. Its most typical symptom is the so-called tide. This feeling of intense heat and sweating at the same time. It is not difficult to explain its appearance: with a change in the hormonal background , the functionality of the thermoregulation center in the hypothalamus also significantly decreases, as a result of which the temperature rises sharply and causes the vessels to expand. More often the heat is felt at night. A mild course of a climatic symptom occurs when the number of tides does not exceed 10 times a day, and a complex one - 20 or more. In addition, the menopausal period may be accompanied by other symptoms, in particular:
- neurovegetative (headache, dry skin, drowsiness, swelling of the extremities, allergic reactions, seizures, dermographism, etc.);
- endocrine and metabolic (thirst, diabetes, joint pain, genital atrophy, joint pain, etc.);
- psycho-emotional (irritability, tearfulness, fatigue, obsessions, depression, memory impairment, mood and appetite changes, etc.).
Diagnostics
Diagnosing menopausal syndrome is sometimes quite difficult, and therefore patients often end up in neurology, therapy, and even in psychiatric hospitals. Patient complaints about hot flashes, as well as a blood test for hormones, help establish an accurate diagnosis. So, the level of estrogen will be significantly reduced, and FSH increased.
Correction
As doctors note, the menopausal period can still be corrected. The treatment may be hormonal or not. The first, as experience shows, is more effective and helps to relieve symptoms safely. It is called estrogen-progestogen therapy (HRT). Of course, the use of such treatment should be necessarily agreed with the doctor, because it has a number of contraindications, in particular this:
- renal failure;
- thrombophlebitis;
- endometriosis;
- mammary cancer;
- uterine bleeding;
- coagulopathy and others.
In addition, the drug should be correctly selected. The patient needs to be examined regularly, follow the regimen and rules of hormone therapy. The treatment period should be at least 1-2 years.