Menopause: Everything You Need to Know
What is menopause?
Menopause is the end of the female reproductive life. It is a point in time one year after a woman’s last period. Hormonal changes during menopause occur when a woman’s body stops producing eggs.
When does menopause start?
When menopause will occur depends on many factors. Every woman is different and every woman will enter menopause at different times. A higher percentage of women begin menopause from the age of 48 to 50. A smaller percentage of women begin menopause very early, from the age of 40 to 43. About one percent of women begin menopause before the age of 40, which is called premature menopause. The causes of premature menopause are very different and individual. It is also important to know that menopause does not occur all at once. A few years before menopause, the premenopausal period starts.
What are the stages of menopause?
The three stages of menopause:
- Perimenopause
- Menopause
- Postmenopause Perimenopause
Period Perimenopause is a point in time ten years before menopause. During this period, hormonal changes gradually occur in a woman’s body, followed by irregular menstrual cycles and various clinical indications. Significant hormonal changes occur about 6-8 years before menopause, followed by irregular menstrual cycles and various clinical indications. This period is called perimenopause.
Menopause or climacteric is a period when a woman’s body stops producing eggs. Menopause includes perimenopause and the first ten years of postmenopause.
Postmenopause is a period in a woman’s life that takes place after menopause. Postmenopause is divided into two stages: early and late postmenopause. Early postmenopause occurs before the age of 70, and late postmenopause or selenium occurs after the age of 70. Postmenopause lasts about ten years.
What is surgical menopause?
Surgical menopause occurs after a surgery that removes the ovaries due to various diseases of women (ovarian cancer, endometriosis, breast cancer,..).
What are the symptoms of menopause?
The symptoms of menopause depend on the stage of menopause in which they occur. Depending on the stage in which they occur, there are early, medium, and late menopausal symptoms.
What are the early symptoms of menopause?
- Hormonal changes
- A sudden drop in estrogen levels
- Trouble sleeping (Insomnia)
- Emotional changes
- Feeling tired, exhausted
As a consequence of hormonal changes an irregular menstrual cycle appears. The first changes are reflected in the menstrual cycle, which can manifest as frequent or infrequent cycles. Frequent cycles occur every 20 days, and rare cycles every 35 days. Cycles are followed by profuse or scanty bleeding, unequal duration, and intensity of bleeding. As a consequence of a sudden drop in estrogen levels 50-60% of women experience psychological problems (depression). About 30% of women experience hot flashes during this period. Vaginal dryness and vaginal infection also occur due to a drop in estrogen levels. Hot flashes occur more often at night, during sleep. They are followed by sweating and temperature drops, and sometimes there is a feeling of fever.
What are the mid-term symptoms of menopause?
Mid-term symptoms begin to appear five to ten years after menopause begins. These are mainly:
- Urogenital atrophy
- Skin, hair, and nails changes
- Loss of libido
- Cognitive impairments
Urogenital atrophy occurs as a result of hormone deficiency. Due to the thinning (atrophy) of the vaginal mucosa, dryness of the vagina and disturbance of the pH value of the vagina occurs. During this period of menopause, women are more prone to vaginal and urinary tract infections. Infections are accompanied by a feeling of dryness, itching, tingling, and burning. Painful sexual intercourse is also often present. Urinary problems are most often in the form of frequent, urgent as well as nocturnal urination with more frequent painful urinary tract infections. Also there are visible skin, hair, and nails changes.The skin loses elasticity and wrinkles appear. Nails and hair are dry and brittle. As a consequence of a long-term lack of estrogen and androgens occur occasional memory lapses, often related to reduced ability to concentrate.
What are the late symptoms of menopause?
Cardiovascular diseases Osteoporosis Osteoarthritis Sensory processing disorder As of late symptoms and consequences of menopause can occur cardiovascular diseases.”Silent” disease or osteoporosis has no symptoms until a fracture caused by a fall or no reason occurs. Osteoarthritisis the most common joint disease that also occurs during this period. Sensory processing disorderinclude cataract development, decreased vision, blurred vision, dry eyes, increased intraocular pressure, and hearing loss.
What are the possible treatment options that can be taken to ease the symptoms of menopause?
Every woman is different and reacts differently to the treatments. When you notice early symptoms of menopause, you should along with your gynecologist determine possible treatment options that can help you to prevent the consequences of menopause. What therapies are available to prevent and treat menopausal symptoms? Hormone therapy (replacement therapy) Preventive therapy with vaginal probiotics Vitamin and mineral therapy Physical activity and healthy eating Hormone or replacement therapy (estrogen replacement) is individual and should be prescribed by a gynecologist. There are several ways in which hormone therapy can be taken: orally in the form of a cream or patch, or by injections. This therapy can be taken periodically or continuously. Hormone therapy is recommended for women who suffer from cardiovascular diseases or have a positive family history of them. Women who have reduced physical activity and do not eat healthily also can take this therapy. Medical tests are mandatory before and after hormone therapy.
Vaginal probiotic in the prevention of vaginal dryness and vaginal infections
Did you know that 50% of menopausal women suffer from persistent vaginal infections? Vaginal infections and dryness of the vagina occurs during menopause due to decreased levels of estrogen in the body. Vaginal dryness induces disturbances in the pH value and acidity of the vagina, followed by vaginal infection. FemmaBiotic contains a concentration of seven billion lactobacilli in only one capsule. The daily dose of vaginal probiotic FemmaBiotic greatly raises the number of lactobacilli, keeps the vaginal flora healthy, and prevents the development of vaginal infections. The use of vaginal probiotic FemmaBiotic is mandatory in the fight against persistent vaginal, fungal and urinary
infections.
Mandatory consumption of the vaginal probiotic FemmaBiotic is also recommended after antibiotic therapy, surgical interventions, antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy as well. Read on to learn more about FemmaBiotic and different types of vaginal infections and what you can do about it here. Vitamin and mineral therapy can make life significantly easier. Mandatory consumption of vitamin D and calcium is also recommended. Physical activity and healthy eating are also very important. They can largely prevent osteoporosis. Increased intake of fluids, fruits, vegetables, and proteins is recommended, and reduced intake of fats and carbohydrates, cessation of cigarette and coffee consumption as well. Physical activity should be regular and in the form of swimming, walking in nature,.. Increased fluid intake will allow you to slow down the aging process of the skin.
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