The whole life of women goes against the background of cyclical changes in the hormonal background, but there is menopause, when the hormonal system falls on a special load, the cyclicality of hormone production is disturbed, hormones are "off the charts", the nervous system can not cope.
This is reported by the Dr. Evin website.
The first such period is adolescence. There is adjustment of the reproductive system, failures are acceptable, because it is important just to understand, accept and survive - as a rule, within 2 years, the reproductive system begins to work like clockwork for many years (let's remember ourselves as teenagers, or look at teenage children), and the second such period comes when the system, which has served about 30 years without a hitch and a hitch, is already exhausted, the cycle of hormone production is broken, mistakes happen more often, the cycle ceases to be regular, the nervous system can not cope. We are talking about menopause or menopause. Undoubtedly, there are happy women who have this period goes smoothly both in the emotional sphere and in the physical. But today we are not talking about them.
So, let's talk about why and what changes occur in a woman's body during menopause and what to do about it.
During the menopausal transition, the ovarian reserve begins to decrease (there is a decrease in the number of small antral follicles), which is reflected in a decrease in anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), which in turn leads to changes in hormone production in the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary gland), FSH, LH increase, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone decrease (their levels may increase at some time, so not only decrease or increase of hormones, but also unstable fluctuations of hormones in perimenopause play an important role). In addition, stress hormones, neurotransmitters are involved.
The average age of menopause is 51, but changes in hormones can begin long before menopause itself. The climacteric period begins at age 45, which is the age after which the end of menstruation will be considered normal, not early and not premature. Disruptions in the system can begin 3-5 years before the end of menstruation. About 50% women experience menopause.
Speaking of menopausal syndrome, first of all we remember the following symptoms: "hot flashes", increased sweating accompanied by chills, especially at night, sleep disorders, hair loss, dry skin, urinary disorders, dryness or burning in the vagina, decreased libido. But that's not all. Changes in mood and mental health can also occur during this period, but the woman herself may not associate them with changes in the hormonal background and not seek help. The period from 40 to 50 years old is quite stressful, - it's a load at work, which used to be given easily, and problems / worries for children, who during this period are most often themselves going through a teenage crisis or entering university, care and assistance to aging parents, difficulties in marriage with a partner, when the love and passion left behind. Add to this the changes in hormones and the picture is bleak - a definite challenge for mental health and enormous stress.
Changes in mood may resemble those of PMS (weakness, irritability, tearfulness or on the contrary aggressiveness, difficulty in concentrating, weakness, fatigue), however, if PMS is predictable by cycle, in the case of menopausal disorders can not be predicted.
During this period, the risks of developing depressive states increase, which may be manifested by loss of interest in favorite work, may be disguised as burnout. Separately, it is worth noting as a symptom of constant increased anxiety, unexplained restlessness, which may be accompanied by sweating, nausea, muscle tension. As a result, night sleep becomes intermittent, chronic sleep deprivation further increases stress, closing the vicious circle. Of course, on this background will decrease and libido. Also background may appear heart pain, pressure fluctuations, headaches, sucidal thoughts, weight gain, a woman can start to go to cardiologists, endocrinologists, neurologists. Thus the journey to the gynecologist can take a long time.
In the first 3 years after menopause, body weight increases on average by 2.3 kg, and after 8 years by 5.5 kg. But weight can begin to grow even during perimenopause. This is due to the fact that against the background of a decrease in hormone levels, metabolism decreases, respectively, and the need for calories decreases. If food habits remain the same during this period, excess calories are deposited in the form of fat deposits (most often in the abdominal area, which leads to unhealthy visceral obesity).
Post-menopausal women have 12 times higher risks of cardiovascular disease compared to the reproductive period. And the increase in cholesterol levels after menopause only in 10% is associated with nutrition, in other cases - it is also the influence of hormones (and genetic predisposition).
By the way, in women who smoke, menopause occurs 2 years earlier.
The main therapy for menopausal and menopausal disorders is menopausal therapy (in the absence of contraindications). There are many questionnaires for assessing the severity of menopausal disorders (for example, female readers can use the Green's scale for testing).
For women with a removed uterus, estrogen alone is sufficient during such periods; for women with a preserved uterus, progesterone or its analogs are added as a prophylaxis against endometrial cancer. The type of hormonal therapy, dose, method of receipt, duration - everything is determined by the doctor personally for each patient, taking into account individual risks. If there are contraindications to hormonal therapy, it is possible to select phytopreparations with estrogen-like action (soy, clover).
An important point in the prescription of menopausal hormone therapy: the earlier it is started, the better bone density is preserved, the risks of dementia are reduced, gradually the dosage of hormones is reduced, after 5 years of MHT slightly, but still increase the risk of breast cancer, and the woman should be informed about this. MHT is not prescribed 10 years after menopause.
If necessary, antidepressants are added, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies (iron, vitamin D, calcium, B vitamins) are compensated.
In addition, lifestyle modification is mandatory: eating right, quitting smoking, exercising, establishing a sleep schedule - all of this together will lead to an improved condition and a restored balance in life.
To improve sleep it is recommended to give up heavy meals before bedtime, from caffeine-containing drinks 8 hours before bedtime (it is not only coffee, but also tea, carbonated drinks). In addition, add a walk in the fresh air in the evening, try to lie down at the same time, before going to bed do not use gadgets. Create the right atmosphere in the bedroom - it should be quiet, cool and dark. With the right approach, menopause can be a new beginning to a mature, happy and healthy life.
It is also advisable to learn that the ovarian exhaustion is manageable.
