Menopause & Perimenopause

Menopause shouldn’t be considered a disease. It is a completely natural and normal event of a woman’s life. A woman hits menopause with her final menstrual period. Generally, menopause is confirmed when the woman has not had her periods for 12 months consecutively, given there aren’t any other obvious causes. With menopause and aging, the ovaries have reduced functioning, which results in lower levels of hormones like estrogen. It permanently marks the end of fertility. On average, menopause occurs at the age of 51. The most common occurrence is between the age of 45 and 55. The phase of life before a woman hits menopause is called perimenopause. It is the time that most women need to have a reassessment of their health. To ensure that this wouldn’t cause any future problems, it is important for all women to know what is menopause.

When menstrual periods stop because of the ovaries being surgically removed, radiation damage to the ovaries or chemotherapy it is called menopause. Sometimes, menopause has to be intentionally induced by using certain medicines for treating some diseases. Women who undergo induced menopause experience the common menopausal symptoms as well, such as hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, etc. These symptoms show up without the natural onset of menopause. There are many options to deal with induced menopause, and you should consult a certified practitioner regarding the same. You should find the best gynecologist for menopause treatment at the earliest to deal with this issue and prevent it from increasing in intensity.

The levels of estrogen in your body tend to fluctuate as women approach menopause. Estrogen levels may be low some days and they may even spike on other days. This kind of fluctuation is what's responsible for the symptoms associated with menopause, including:

Hot flashes
Irregular menstrual periods
Vaginal dryness
Mood swings
Sleep problems
Increased fat around the abdomen

These symptoms are common indications of menopause. You may not get all the menopause symptoms; therefore, you should be careful while looking at the symptoms to help you determine if you are going through menopause.

There is no way of determining when an individual woman will have menopause. However, on average, menopause occurs at the age of 51. The most common occurrence is between the age of 45 and 55, although it is possible for it to happen later or earlier in some cases. There is a tendency of women undergoing menopause at a similar age to that of their mothers. There is no relation between the age when a woman starts menstruation and the age when she would undergo menopause. You should begin looking for premenopause symptoms if you are above the age of 40 and start having irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, etc.

Mostly, menopause results from the natural aging process, however, there are other causes as well. Menopause can be triggered by certain cancer treatments, rare ovarian conditions, and surgical procedures.

Most women don’t even need the diagnosis of a doctor to know that menopause is approaching; they would be aware of it themselves. This is because the signs and indications of menopause are quite obvious. However, if you are unsure, you can consider certain tests that confirm menopause. Your healthcare provider may test your estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Since the levels of estrogen tend to fall and levels of FSH rise during menopause, these blood tests are helpful in determining menopause. A health checkup with the best gynecologist for menopause near you will give you surety about menopause and will also prove as a clean bill of health. You can then be assured that everything is fine and you wouldn’t require any treatment.

There are certain complications that are associated with menopause; however, it isn't usually the only cause of the complication. Natural aging does increase the risk of developing these medical conditions.

Osteoporosis
Heart disease
Weight gain
Urinary problems

If your general physician and gynecologist diagnose you with any complications caused due to menopause, they will suggest a course of menopause treatment that you will have to follow. Most complications associated with menopause can be treated easily and there is no need to worry. Your doctor will provide comprehensive information about the complication and how to treat it.

The medications and dietary supplements that a menopausal woman may need to take is dependent on the individual, her medical history and her symptoms. Since menopause isn’t a disease, it doesn’t necessarily require treatment. However, a woman may want to treat the symptoms if they are too bothersome. You need to discuss the options of treating menopausal symptoms with our healthcare professionals. One of the options you have for treating the symptoms is hormonal therapy. Consult your gynecologist regarding this and ask for a menopause treatment that will help you deal with the menopause symptoms.

Menopause immediately occurs whenever an ovulating woman’s ovaries are removed surgically. Furthermore, if an ovulating woman is given radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer, menopause may result. Whether it will happen depends on the location and type of cancer and the treatment given