Menopause

Causes, symptoms and treatment of menopause

Menopause is a term that means "stopping rules". The average age of onset of menopause varies from country to country, eating habits and habits (smoking for example). In Europe it occurs around the age of 50 years, but menopause may occur early, before age 40. This decision rules is the loss of reproductive function by loss of ovarian follicles and by altering the secretion of the ovaries. Ovarian secretions are collapsed (estrogen and progesterone), pituitary hormones do not undergo more than the brake re-reading these secretions. There is then a rise in FSH (follicle stimulating hormone ovarian) and LH (luteinizing hormone), which explains the signs that all women with menopause describe.

Thus, you experience various events: changes in your mood, you are tired and lack of energy or energy around you think you become difficult to live. You report as hot flashes and night sweats (summer and winter) triggered by stress, emotion. Your skin becomes dry and that sexual problems are added: decreased desire (libido) and pain during intercourse (dyspareunia) that are not made to fix things. The menstrual cycle disorders are not to be outdone, the crash is rare, but the cycles become irregular, often your cycle is longer, sometimes it is accompanied by appearance of bleeding between periods (metrorrhagia).

The diagnosis is confirmed in a blood test with determination of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and androgen sometimes) and their leader pituitary (FSH, LH).

Your Menopause deserves medical care by an endocrinologist or gynecologist menopause because this has a rich evolution complications if no replacement therapy is initiated.

Complications are mainly related to estrogen deficiency, you may describe urinary responsible for cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) and urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence can also occur as well as vulvar and vaginal disorders (dry vaginal and vulvar) making it more difficult and responsible for your sex vaginal infection.

The cardiovascular, menopause exposes you to cardiovascular disease for which you were spared due to the secretion of estrogen from the ovary, now because of the lack of secretion of this hormone, you do not factor protective and you catch people suffering from these heart conditions: hypertension, myocardial infarction. These diseases are attributable to the deposition of lipids (fats) in the arteries of your body. But the most worrisome complications remain Osteoporosis is a bone fragility that puts you at the femoral neck fractures.

The therapeutic management of the menopause involves a comprehensive assessment (ECG, mammography, breast ultrasound, pelvic ultrasound, Pap smear, blood test with study of coagulation, bone densitometry x-ray) before starting any hormone therapy, because the hormone treatment requires careful medical supervision throughout treatment.

These hormones are in the form of tablets, suppositories, creams, spray (spray), gel, transdermal (patch). Recent data speak of phytoestrogens are not hormones but have a role in the treatment of hot flashes, cholesterol, blood glucose, protection vis-à-vis the cancer and prevent osteoporosis. These phytoestrogens are food supplements of plant origin, the most used are the isoflavones found in soybeans. Time will tell if these phytoestrogens will change the future of women entering this phase of menopause.