Symptoms and Treatments for Menopause - Research Paper Example

? Symptoms and Treatments for Menopause 9/12 Menopause is a which affects all women starting from theirmid –forties and may last to their mid – fifties. A stage that is little understood by these women or the people is who is around these women. Many scholars have attempted to define it over time and today, we have a better understanding what happens during this stage. In this paper, we shall be discussing the various processes and symptoms, which precede menopause, which comes during menopause, and which comes after menopause. We shall look at the factors, which can cause early menopause in women as well as the various remedies, or treatments that are available for the reduction of the symptoms of menopause. Introduction Menopause is the point when a woman has her last period that happens when her ovaries discontinue discharging eggs, and for some women, it takes place at one time, but for many women, it is a continuing progression. If a woman has not had a period in more than a year, is not pregnant, or does not have another illness, she may have most likely reached menopause and typically, this happens when the woman is in her fifties. Menopause may occur due to many circumstances, among which are natural or artificial. Normally, it occurs in stages beginning with the period just before menopause, known as perimenopause and ends postmenopause. In certain circumstances, however, menopause may be caused by surgical procedures or an individual’s psychological condition. Perimenopause and Surgical menopause Perimenopause is the gradual change that leads to menopause which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but it is not unknown to begin as early as 40, a time when menstrual periods usually become less predictable, and they may become more or less frequent or may be heavier or lighter (Allen). Women who smoke have a higher possibility of going into perimenopause earlier than those women who do not smoke. Perimenopause is a process that can last for few months or can go on for up to 12 years depending on the physiological makeup of the woman involved. If a woman has not had a period for more than a year or two, then this marks the end of the perimenopausal stage and the beginning of menopause (Scialli and Fugh-Berman 1). On the other hand, Surgical menopause occurs with the removal of both ovaries in women who have yet to undergo menopause and this induces menopause because they suddenly experience the symptoms of menopause without the normal gradual changes that occur. Women with surgical menopause experience the following changes: hot flashes; sweating at night; the drying of the vagina; heart palpitations; frequent mood swings; unexplained depression; constant fatigue, and some changes in their sexual desire (Nelson 760). Stress menopause is caused by the constant stress experienced by a woman on many occasions, which hastens the menopausal process. This type of stress can be caused by the various factors related to stress, for example, exposure to radiation, smoking, excessive alcohol intake or having a poor diet (Jamil and Khalid 19). Most of these factors result in stress or are the symptoms of a woman having stress. Postmenopause Post menopause is the point after menopause which normally begins between twenty-four and thirty-six months subsequent to the last period that a woman experiences. There is a reduction of menopausal symptoms as become less frequent. However, the reduction of menopausal symptoms during the postmenopausal stage is not uniform among all women, and some may continue having them for an unusually long time after their last period while others have them for only a short time. As a woman approaches menopause, her menstrual period starts to change and the time between periods can be shorter or longer and may vary from month to month, and the significant feature of menopause taking place is the coming to an end of menstrual periods. However, it is difficult to determine whether a woman has experienced her last period or not unless she displays menopausal symptoms. The most common menopause symptoms are changes in sexual desire, extreme sweating, frequent urinary tract infections, frequent urination, irritability, night sweats, sleep problems, and vaginal dryness (Castelo-Branco 380). Treatments Many life changes can occur during perimenopause and menopause, which can affect a woman. These changes can cause the increase of the symptoms of menopause and they include anxiety about future loss of independence; anxiety about disability or loneliness; changes in social relationships; changes in identity or body image; children leaving home; getting divorced; and increased anxiety about illness, aging, or death among many others ("When Anxiety, Insomnia …”). Some women opt for hormone therapy to treat their menopause symptoms and this therapy may include pills, patches, implants, rings, and vaginal creams whose main purpose is to replace hormones such as estrogen and progesterone that the body stops making during perimenopause and menopause (Brody). Hormone therapy is the most favored means of dealing with the symptoms displayed during menopause. This is because the hormones, which are introduced into the body, replace those that have been depleted due to menopause. They function to reduce some of the symptoms, which occur because of a lack of these hormones and may in fact, reduce the risk of conditions related to menopause, such as osteoporosis (Hu 1061). However, it has been found that after the end of hormone therapy, there is a high possibility for the symptoms of menopause to return. The symptoms displayed when this therapy is discontinued tend to be more severe than they were before. Contraceptive pills, for example, are used for treating irregular vaginal bleeding. However, before a physician prescribes such pills, he must check to see whether the vaginal bleeding is caused by any other condition. Therefore, it is recommended that contraceptive pills be given to those women who are undergoing menopause transition to regulate their menstrual periods (Raksin). These pills also help in the relieving of hot flashes and the symptoms, which they help to reduce, tend to be the same as those that occur in women who have yet to undergo menopause. However, there are times when some women, concerned about the risks of hormone therapy, choose alternative therapies including homeotherapy, herbal treatments and Chinese medicines, but these therapies may also have undesired effects (Azizi, et al 48). The use of homeotherapy, for example, is a highly controversial move because it is disputed whether it can actually work. It has been stated that homeotherapy is not a reliable remedy for the symptoms of menopause, but this has yet to be ascertained because the data for success has not been gathered. While homeotherapy had lost popularity by the early twentieth century, it returned to prominence later in that century, and it has been used since then in the medical field. Conclusion In conclusion, menopause is an extraordinarily normal occurrence in women, which has to happen during their lifetime and at different paces depending on the individual who is experiencing it. This period of gradual change in women should be met with understanding from their partners, family and co-workers because it is a devilishly difficult time for them. By treating them with understanding, the process will be so much easier not only for them but also for those around them. It is essential to recognize that at the same time as the menopause may cause some worrying symptoms, it is not an illness, and it will happen in all women who reach menopausal period. Therefore, it is important for every woman to know what to expect when undergoing this stage of her lives. It is crucial for the symptoms of menopause to be carefully watched out for and dealt with accordingly before they become much worse and even unbearable on those women who are experiencing it. Moreover, it is best for all options for treatment to be carefully considered before choosing the treatment for the various symptoms. This is because of the fact that although certain treatments may work for some women, it does not mean that they will work for others. In such circumstances, it is necessary for those experiencing the symptoms to consult a doctor before taking any action in the reduction of the symptoms. This will ensure that the women going through menopause end up living their lives as normally as possible. References Allen, J. E. (2000, Dec 18). Before the change; the months or years leading up to menopause can bring myriad physical and emotional symptoms, ones that often go unrecognized. Los Angeles Times. Azizi, H., et al. (2011). "Menopause-Related Symptoms: Traditional Chinese Medicine Vs Hormone Therapy." Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 17.4: 48-53. Brody, J. E. (1998, Jan 27). Menopause begins silently, before its symptoms. New York Times. Castelo-Branco, C., Peralta, S., Ferrer, J., Palacios, S., & al, e. (2006). The dilemma of menopause and hormone replacement - a challenge for women and health-care providers: Knowledge of menopause and hormone therapy in spanish menopausal women. Climacteric, 9(5), 380-7. Hu, F. B., Grodstein, F., Hennekens, C. H., Colditz, G. A., & al, e. (1999). Age at natural menopause and risk of cardiovascular disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 159(10), 1061-6. Jamil, F., & Khalid, R. (2009). Menopause and related issues. Pakistan Journal of Psychology, 40(2), n/a. Nelson, H.D. (2008). "Menopause." The Lancet 371.9614: 760-70. Raksin, A. (2005). "THE NATION; Menopause Symptoms found to Return when Hormones Stopped; Women can Alleviate Hot Flashes, Night Sweats and Other Discomforts by Drinking More Fluids and Increasing Exercise, a Study Says." Los Angeles Times. Scialli, T., & Fugh-Berman, A. (2001), Perimenopause: An invented "disease". Network News, 26, 1-1, 6. “When anxiety, insomnia aren't just in your head; for some women in their 40s, they're among the symptoms that signal a shift in hormone levels before menopause”. (2010, Oct 11). Wall Street Journal. Read More