Menopause Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Menopause is a condition in which menstruation does not occur for 12 months due to the inactivity of the egg follicles. The menopausal transition period is calculated from the last menstrual period followed by 12 months of amenorrhea (no menstrual cycle).
Menopause is part of the transition period from reproductive to non-reproductive period. The average age of menopause ranges from 43–57 years. But there is no sure way to predict when a woman will enter menopause.
In addition, heredity also plays a role, where a woman will experience menopause at an age not much different from her mother.
During menopause, a woman’s body slowly reduces the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, causing various symptoms.
Symptom
Symptoms that are often complained of in menopause are:
- Changes in menstrual periods (shorter or longer periods, more or fewer or no periods)
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Sleep disorders
- Mood changes (depression, irritability)
- Pain during intercourse
- Urinary tract infection
- Urinary or urinary incontinence (inability to hold back urine)
- Not interested in sexual relations
- Increase in body fat around the waist
- Problems with concentration and memory
Reason
Menopause occurs as a natural process in which a woman’s body slowly reduces the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
However, some medical procedures can also cause the production of the hormones progesterone and estrogen to decrease, triggering early menopause. With a decrease in these two hormones, the ovulation process will stop over time.
Diagnosis
Determination of the diagnosis of menopause can be done if a woman does not get menstruation for 1 year (12 months in a row).
Treatment
Menopause itself is a normal part of a woman’s life journey and is not a disease that needs to be treated. However, therapy is possible if the symptoms of menopause are bothersome or get worse. Lifestyle modifications can reduce the discomfort experienced due to the symptoms that occur. This will certainly make the body feel healthier.
The recommended lifestyle modifications are:
- Add foods rich in calcium content. It can also be done by taking calcium supplements.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine which can trigger hot flashes.
- Quit smoking.
- Regular exercise. Regular physical activity can help you lose weight, improve sleep quality, strengthen bones, and improve mood. Brisk walking, low-impact aerobics, and dancing are examples of exercises that can strengthen bones.
- Avoid stress. Meditation or yoga can help to relax and adjust to the symptoms experienced during the hormonal transition period.
Some doctors also recommend using the contraceptive pill to reduce the symptoms that occur.
When entering the menopause phase, if these symptoms are increasingly disturbing, then hormonal therapy can be done using the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This therapy can be done if there is still a uterus or the hormone estrogen if you don’t have a uterus.
This hormonal therapy can reduce symptoms that occur during menopause and prevent bone loss. This therapy is available in various forms, including tablets or patches attached to the skin, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and local (vaginal) hormonal therapy.
Hormonal therapy may contain estrogen alone, progesterone alone, testosterone alone, or an estrogen-progesterone combination. Hormonal therapy is effective for reducing the symptoms of hot flashes and vaginal dryness.