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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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What is menopause? Menopause is a phase in a woman's life, not a disease. Between the ages of 45-55, a woman's ovaries slow down, and in time stop producing an egg every month. A woman's body also begins to make female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in smaller amounts. This natural event marks the end of a woman's fertility and childbearing years and the beginning of a new and distinct stage of a woman's life. When a full year has passed without a period, menopause is considered official.
What are the signs/indicators? Although every woman experiences menopause differently, there are some changes that usually occur. Irregular menstrual periods and hot flashes are two common signs. A hot flash is a sudden warmth or flush that is often followed by sweating. It occurs in the head, neck and chest areas and usually lasts anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Hot flashes that occur at night are sometimes called night sweats. Twenty percent of women do not experience hot flashes.
Other indicators include:
Between 10-20% of women have symptoms that significantly interfere with their regular lifestyle.
What treatment is available? Lifestyle changes, non-prescription, and prescription remedies can all provide relief from menopause-related body changes.
In general, non-prescription remedies have been shown to be of limited value, but there is minimal risk in trying the following:
A woman should discuss her individual symptoms and concerns with her doctor to determine the treatment which best fits her needs.
The most widely used prescription to treat menopause-related changes is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), either a combined progesterone/estrogen treatment for women who still have their uterus or estrogen therapy for women who have had a hysterectomy. Both of these methods can reduce hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. HT can also help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Women who have experienced "natural" menopause (non-surgical) and still have their uterus are usually placed on a combination of estrogen plus progesterone to prevent cancer of the uterus that can be caused by the use of estrogen alone.
However, there are risks involved in taking HRT. These include:
The risks are rare in women under 60, but because there are no overriding long-term health benefits, it is recommended that women use the lowest dose of hormones that treats their symptoms and that they use hormones for a short amount of time. You should discuss the benefits and risks of HT with your doctor and consider your overall health when making a decision.
Last Reviewed: Jul 30, 2007
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Margery Gass, MD Professor, Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
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