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What's menopause?

Women past a sure historic period will experience menopause. Menopause is defined as having no menstrual menstruation for ane year. The historic period you lot experience it can vary, just it typically occurs in your late 40s or early 50s.

Menopause tin cause many changes in your torso. The symptoms are the result of a decreased product of estrogen and progesterone in your ovaries. Symptoms may include hot flashes, weight gain, or vaginal dryness. Vaginal atrophy contributes to vagina dryness. With this, there can be inflammation and thinning of the vaginal tissues which adds to uncomfortable intercourse.

Menopause can as well increase your risk for certain conditions like osteoporosis. You may find that getting through menopause requires little medical attention. Or you may decide you lot need to discuss symptoms and handling options with a doctor.

Proceed reading to learn about the xi things every woman should know virtually menopause.

The average age for onset of menopause is 51. The majority of women finish having periods somewhere between ages 45 to 55. The first stages of failing ovary function can start years before that in some women. Others will go along to have menstrual periods into their late 50s.

The age of menopause is thought to be genetically determined, merely things such every bit smoking or chemotherapy tin accelerate ovary reject, resulting in earlier menopause.

Perimenopause refers to the menstruation of time correct before menopause begins.

During perimenopause, your body is showtime the transition into menopause. That means that hormone production from your ovaries is starting time to decline. You may brainstorm to experience some symptoms usually associated with menopause, like hot flashes. Your menstrual bicycle may become irregular, simply it won't cease during the perimenopause phase.

Once you completely terminate having a menstrual bike for 12 consecutive months, you've entered menopause.

About 75 percent of women feel hot flashes during menopause, making them the most mutual symptom experienced by menopausal women. Hot flashes can occur during the day or at dark. Some women may also experience muscle and joint hurting, known every bit arthralgia, or mood swings.

It may exist difficult to determine whether these symptoms are caused by shifts in your hormones, life circumstances, or the crumbling process itself.

During a hot wink, yous'll likely feel your torso temperature rise. Hot flashes affect the top half of your body, and your pare may fifty-fifty plough red in color or go blotchy. This rush of heat could lead to sweating, heart palpitations, and feelings of dizziness. After the hot flash, you may feel cold.

Hot flashes may come up on daily or fifty-fifty multiple times a day. You may experience them over the course of a year or fifty-fifty several years.

Fugitive triggers may reduce the number of hot flashes you experience. These can include:

  • consuming alcohol or caffeine
  • eating spicy nutrient
  • feeling stressed
  • being somewhere hot

Being overweight and smoking may too make hot flashes worse.

A few techniques may assistance reduce your hot flashes and their symptoms:

  • Apparel in layers to help with hot flashes, and use a fan in your home or office space.
  • Practice breathing exercises during a hot wink to try to minimize it.

Medications such every bit birth control pills, hormone therapy, or even other prescriptions may help you reduce hot flashes. See your doctor if you're having difficulty managing hot flashes on your own.

The turn down in estrogen production can affect the amount of calcium in your bones. This tin cause significant decreases in bone density, leading to a condition known as osteoporosis. It can also make yous more than susceptible to hip, spine, and other bone fractures. Many women experience accelerated bone loss the first few years later on their last menstrual menstruum.

To proceed your basic healthy:

  • Eat foods with lots of calcium, such equally dairy products or night leafy greens.
  • Have vitamin D supplements.
  • Exercise regularly and include weight grooming in your exercise routine.
  • Reduce booze consumption.
  • Avoid smoking.

There are prescription medications you may want to discuss with your doctor to forbid bone loss besides.

Atmospheric condition related to your heart may arise during menopause, such every bit dizziness or cardiac palpitations. Decreased estrogen levels tin can foreclose your torso from retaining flexible arteries. This can impact claret menstruation.

Watching your weight, eating a good for you and balanced diet, exercising, and not smoking can reduce your chances of developing heart conditions.

Changes in your hormone levels may cause you to proceeds weight. However, aging can also contribute to weight gain.

Focus on maintaining a balanced nutrition, exercising regularly, and practicing other healthy habits to help control your weight. Being overweight can increase your risk for centre illness, diabetes, and other conditions.

The symptoms of menopause vary from one woman to another, even in the aforementioned families. The historic period and charge per unit of decline of ovary function differ tremendously. This means you'll need to manage your menopause individually. What worked for your mother or all-time friend may non work for yous.

Talk to your doctor if you lot have any questions nearly menopause. They tin assistance you empathise your symptoms and find means to manage them that work with your lifestyle.

If your uterus was surgically removed through a hysterectomy, you may not know you're going through menopause unless you lot feel hot flashes.

This tin can also happen if you've had an endometrial ablation and your ovaries weren't removed. Endometrial ablation is the removal of the lining of your uterus as treatment for heavy catamenia.

If you aren't having any symptoms, a claret test can determine if your ovaries are still functioning. This exam tin be used to help doctors discover out your estrogen level, which may exist benign if you lot're at chance of osteoporosis. That'due south because knowing your estrogen status may be important in determining whether you need a os density assessment.

Several hormone therapies are FDA-approved for handling of hot flashes and prevention of os loss. The benefits and risks vary depending on the severity of your hot flashes and os loss, and your health. These therapies may not be correct for you. Talk to your medico before trying whatsoever hormone therapies.

Hormone therapy may not exist the right choice for you. Some medical conditions may prevent yous from safely being able to apply hormone therapy or y'all may cull not to use that grade of handling for your ain personal reasons. Changes to your lifestyle may assist you relieve many of your symptoms without need for hormonal intervention.

Lifestyle changes may include:

  • weight loss
  • do
  • room temperature reductions
  • abstention of foods that aggravate symptoms
  • dressing in light cotton clothing and wearing layers

Other treatments such as herbal therapies, cocky-hypnosis, acupuncture, certain low-dose antidepressants, and other medications may be helpful in decreasing hot flashes.

Several FDA-canonical medications can be used for prevention of bone loss. These may include:

  • bisphosphonates, such as risedronate (Actonel, Atelvia) and zoledronic acid (Reclast)
  • selective estrogen receptor modulators similar raloxifene (Evista)
  • calcitonin (Fortical, Miacalcin)
  • denosumab (Prolia, Xgeva)
  • parathyroid hormone, such as teriparatide (Forteo)
  • certain estrogen products

Y'all may discover over-the-counter lubricants, estrogen creams, or other products aid with vaginal dryness.

Menopause is a natural part of a woman'south life cycle. It's a time when your estrogen and progesterone levels decrease. Post-obit menopause, your risk for sure conditions like osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease may increase.

To manage your symptoms, maintain a healthy diet and go plenty of exercise to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

You should contact your md if yous experience adverse symptoms that affect your ability to function, or if yous notice anything unusual that might crave a closer look. At that place are plenty of treatment options to help with symptoms like hot flashes.

Check in with your doctor during regular gynecological exams as you lot experience menopause.