MENOPAUSE is the normal aspect of aging for a woman. In the last two decades, the term has also been frequently used with regards to men.
More commonly, it is used to describe the period when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less eggs and also reduced levels of the female hormones called progesterone and oestrogen. This change in pattern of production is profound enough to cause many psychological and physical changes in many women.
In general, menopause in a woman is regarded as complete if she has not had a normal period for one full year. The term is often referred to as a change in life and usually occurs during a 10-year period from 45 to 55 years. When it occurs at an age below 40 years, it is regarded as premature. More technically, this may be termed as an ovulatory failure and the decision whether or not to seek treatment is then dependent on the severity of the patient’s symptoms.
At birth, the ovaries have in stock the entire supply of eggs for the woman’s lifetime. It is predetermined. They are thus stored in small follicles. During the period of puberty, when the individual develops secondary sexual characteristics, hormones released by the pituitary gland at the floor of the brain stimulate the ovaries to begin to release those eggs each month. This process is called ovulation and it activates the release of oestrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. In turn, these chemical messengers stimulate the internal lining of the uterus, the endometrium, to thicken and increase in size in preparation for the implantation of a fertilised egg. When no egg is fertilised, the entire lining of the endometrium is shed in a process called menstruation. This is the monthly period as we know it.
As a woman gets older, the total number of those follicles in the ovaries reduces and the ovaries also then produce diminished amounts of the hormones. Menopause then occurs when the ovaries fail to produce enough of these hormones to stimulate the monthly growth of the uterus.
Menstruation could stop permanently. However, the period in which the first symptoms appear to when the menstruation ceases finally may range from a few months to several years and this time frame is referred to medically as the climacteric. It is also called the pre-menopause.
Menopause is of three types namely:
1) Natural menopause: This is said to occur when the circulating levels of both oestrogen and progesterone decline naturally to the point at which they are no longer able to stimulate menstruation.
2) Premature menopause: This is described as that period which ends before the age of 40 years. This is as a result of several factors, including medical conditions like diseases of the thyroid gland or diabetes mellitus. Certain operations or medications that adversely affect the blood supply to the ovaries can also cause this, just as the habit of cigarette smoking could also be a factor. Sometimes, there is no other problem other than the fact that it runs in certain families. Finally, sometimes, there may be no identifiable cause and the option available is to try and treat the problem.
3) Artificial menopause: This refers to the sudden drop in the level of the hormones as a result of an operation performed to remove them or due to the effects of chemotherapy in cancer treatment. The symptoms of menopause in this category begin suddenly and the effects are usually more severe.
The first noticeable change in an impending menopause is a change in the pattern of the monthly menstrual flow. The flow may become lighter or heavier. They may also become longer or shorter and the time interval between periods may also become longer, with some occasional missed periods occurring. These changes may be very sudden in some women and more gradual in others. There is a wide variety of possible changes in the average menopausal woman. Some are mild changes while others are very profound, sometimes requiring treatment. These symptoms may last only a few months or several years. The average period of time in which these symptoms are experienced range from three to five years. Some of the symptoms of menopause are as follows:
1) Hot flushes which occurs in about 60 per cent of woman.
2) Sweats occurring, especially at night.
3) Tiredness.
4) Headaches.
5) Bone and joint pains.
6) Palpitations.
7) Abnormal skin sensations.
8) Excessively dry skin.
9) Dryness of the vagina.
10) Urinary incontinence with occasional urinary tract infection and genital tract infection may also occur with more frequency.
Some of the signs of menopause are as follows:
1) Unexplained anxiety.
2) Difficulty with concentration on anything.
3) Diminished interest in sex.
4) Loss of confidence.
5) Mood swings and irritability.
6) Depression.
7) Increased forgetfulness.
8) Difficulty with sleeping.
There is no singular test that can diagnose the menopause. However, the diagnosis is usually made retrospectively when the periods have finally stopped. After a year of complete absence of menstruation, tests that could confirm that menopause has occurred are blood tests conducted to assay the level of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Leutenising Hormone (LH). The levels are usually very high and would be diagnostic of this status.
Treatment for this condition especially in our society is not particularly sought after by many women. However, the problems associated with this segment of life can be very disruptive. If symptoms are problematic, a woman is at great risk of developing osteoporosis and heart disease. Osteoporosis makes such women prone to sustaining fractures from trivial injuries, thus necessitating treatment. It is the same for those at risk of heart disease. In the end though, the decision to take treatment or not must be made by the woman after considering the advice of her doctor.
More commonly, it is used to describe the period when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less eggs and also reduced levels of the female hormones called progesterone and oestrogen. This change in pattern of production is profound enough to cause many psychological and physical changes in many women.
In general, menopause in a woman is regarded as complete if she has not had a normal period for one full year. The term is often referred to as a change in life and usually occurs during a 10-year period from 45 to 55 years. When it occurs at an age below 40 years, it is regarded as premature. More technically, this may be termed as an ovulatory failure and the decision whether or not to seek treatment is then dependent on the severity of the patient’s symptoms.
At birth, the ovaries have in stock the entire supply of eggs for the woman’s lifetime. It is predetermined. They are thus stored in small follicles. During the period of puberty, when the individual develops secondary sexual characteristics, hormones released by the pituitary gland at the floor of the brain stimulate the ovaries to begin to release those eggs each month. This process is called ovulation and it activates the release of oestrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. In turn, these chemical messengers stimulate the internal lining of the uterus, the endometrium, to thicken and increase in size in preparation for the implantation of a fertilised egg. When no egg is fertilised, the entire lining of the endometrium is shed in a process called menstruation. This is the monthly period as we know it.
As a woman gets older, the total number of those follicles in the ovaries reduces and the ovaries also then produce diminished amounts of the hormones. Menopause then occurs when the ovaries fail to produce enough of these hormones to stimulate the monthly growth of the uterus.
Menstruation could stop permanently. However, the period in which the first symptoms appear to when the menstruation ceases finally may range from a few months to several years and this time frame is referred to medically as the climacteric. It is also called the pre-menopause.
Menopause is of three types namely:
1) Natural menopause: This is said to occur when the circulating levels of both oestrogen and progesterone decline naturally to the point at which they are no longer able to stimulate menstruation.
2) Premature menopause: This is described as that period which ends before the age of 40 years. This is as a result of several factors, including medical conditions like diseases of the thyroid gland or diabetes mellitus. Certain operations or medications that adversely affect the blood supply to the ovaries can also cause this, just as the habit of cigarette smoking could also be a factor. Sometimes, there is no other problem other than the fact that it runs in certain families. Finally, sometimes, there may be no identifiable cause and the option available is to try and treat the problem.
3) Artificial menopause: This refers to the sudden drop in the level of the hormones as a result of an operation performed to remove them or due to the effects of chemotherapy in cancer treatment. The symptoms of menopause in this category begin suddenly and the effects are usually more severe.
The first noticeable change in an impending menopause is a change in the pattern of the monthly menstrual flow. The flow may become lighter or heavier. They may also become longer or shorter and the time interval between periods may also become longer, with some occasional missed periods occurring. These changes may be very sudden in some women and more gradual in others. There is a wide variety of possible changes in the average menopausal woman. Some are mild changes while others are very profound, sometimes requiring treatment. These symptoms may last only a few months or several years. The average period of time in which these symptoms are experienced range from three to five years. Some of the symptoms of menopause are as follows:
1) Hot flushes which occurs in about 60 per cent of woman.
2) Sweats occurring, especially at night.
3) Tiredness.
4) Headaches.
5) Bone and joint pains.
6) Palpitations.
7) Abnormal skin sensations.
8) Excessively dry skin.
9) Dryness of the vagina.
10) Urinary incontinence with occasional urinary tract infection and genital tract infection may also occur with more frequency.
Some of the signs of menopause are as follows:
1) Unexplained anxiety.
2) Difficulty with concentration on anything.
3) Diminished interest in sex.
4) Loss of confidence.
5) Mood swings and irritability.
6) Depression.
7) Increased forgetfulness.
8) Difficulty with sleeping.
There is no singular test that can diagnose the menopause. However, the diagnosis is usually made retrospectively when the periods have finally stopped. After a year of complete absence of menstruation, tests that could confirm that menopause has occurred are blood tests conducted to assay the level of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Leutenising Hormone (LH). The levels are usually very high and would be diagnostic of this status.
Treatment for this condition especially in our society is not particularly sought after by many women. However, the problems associated with this segment of life can be very disruptive. If symptoms are problematic, a woman is at great risk of developing osteoporosis and heart disease. Osteoporosis makes such women prone to sustaining fractures from trivial injuries, thus necessitating treatment. It is the same for those at risk of heart disease. In the end though, the decision to take treatment or not must be made by the woman after considering the advice of her doctor.
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