Menopause - Symptoms, causes and treatment

Menopause is the natural end of the menstrual cycle, which usually occurs when a woman is 45 to 55 years old. A womanMenopause is said to be menopausal if no longer menstruating, at least 12 months.

Not only stopping menstruation, many other changes occur in a postmenopausal woman's body, ranging from physical appearance, psychological condition, sexual desire, to fertility. Women who have gone through menopause cannot get pregnant again.

These changes can occur gradually or suddenly, and are referred to as menopausal symptoms. The period of occurrence of these changes is called perimenopause, which can last for several years before menopause, and generally begins at the age of 40 years or it can be earlier.

Menopause Symptoms

Menopausal symptoms occur during perimenopause, which is a few months or years before menstruation stops. The duration and severity of symptoms vary from person to person. Symptoms or signs of menopause can include:

Menstrual cycle changes

• Menstruation becomes irregular, sometimes later or earlier than usual (0ligomenorrhoea).
• Blood that comes out during menstruation can be less or even more.

Changes in physical appearance

• Hair loss.
• Dry skin.
• Sagging breasts.
• Weight gain.

Psychological changes

• mood swings or moody.
• Hard to sleep.
• Depression

Sexual changes

• The vagina becomes dry.
• Decreased libido (sexual desire).

Physical changes

• Feeling hot or stifling, so it's easy to sweat. This condition is called hot flashes.
• Sweating at night.
• Dizzy.
• Heart beat.
• Recurrent infections of the urinary tract.

In addition to experiencing the various changes above, postmenopausal women are more at risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis.

Causes of Menopause

Menopause is a natural process that occurs when a woman gets older. With age, the ovaries will produce less and less female hormones. As a result, the ovaries no longer release eggs and menstruation will stop.

However, menopause can also occur earlier, ie before the age of 40 years. Early menopause can result from:

• Primary ovarian insufficiency

  This condition occurs due to a genetic disorder or autoimmune disease, which causes the ovaries to stop functioning.

• Surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy)

  After a hysterectomy, a woman will not experience menopause immediately, but tends to experience menopause earlier. Menopause can occur immediately after a hysterectomy if the ovaries are also removed.

• Cancer treatment

  Chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat uterine cancer can damage the ovaries, triggering early menopause.

Menopause Diagnosis

A woman is said to be in menopause when her periods have stopped for 12 months. Menopause is preceded by the appearance of various changes during perimenopause, which are called menopausal symptoms.

To be sure, or if your doctor suspects other causes of menopause, you can:

• FSH check (follicle-stimulating hormone) and the hormone estrogen

  Menopause is indicated when FSH levels increase, while estrogen levels are low.

• TSH test (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and thyroid hormone

  Checking hormone levels is to make sure the patient does not have hypothyroidism or a decrease in thyroid hormone, which can cause symptoms similar to menopause.

Handling Menopause Independently

Menopause does not require special treatment. Treatment is done only aims to relieve symptoms, namely by:

1. Avoid certain foods/drinks

Spicy foods and hot, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks can create menopausal symptoms, such as: hot flashes and heart palpitations, became more severe.

2. Mewearing light cotton clothes

This method can reduce hot flashes experienced during perimenopause.

3. Apply relaxation techniques

The relaxation techniques in question include meditation, breath control, yoga, and taichi. These techniques can help reduce stress levels and prevent depression.

4. Use a water-based vaginal lubricant

The goal is to reduce discomfort caused by vaginal dryness or vaginal atrophy. Do not use vaginal lubricant products that contain glycerin, because there is a risk of irritation.

To prevent diseases that can arise due to menopause, a woman is advised to live a healthy lifestyle. The trick is to get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and adopt a healthy diet.

The recommended diet is to eat foods with balanced nutrition and increase fiber intake, such as fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Also, limit your intake of fat, sugar, and oil. If needed, take calcium and vitamin D supplements to maintain bone health. In addition, avoid alcohol consumption, because it can cause difficulty sleeping.

Menopause Handling by Doctors

When menopause symptoms are very disturbing. This therapy is effective for relieving menopausal symptoms. There are two types of hormone replacement therapy for menopause, namely:

• pe therapynreplace the hormone estrogen

  This therapy is given to women who have undergone surgical removal of the uterus.

• Combination therapy (estrogen and progesterone)

  This therapy is given to women who experience menopause naturally.

Hormone replacement therapy can be given in the form of tablets, creams, or gels. However, this therapy is not recommended for women who have breast cancer or are at high risk of developing breast cancer.

In addition to hormone replacement therapy, several types of drugs can also be given to treat menopausal symptoms, including:

• Antidepressant drugs

  This drug is given to treat symptoms hot flashes and mood disorders, when estrogen pills cannot be given for health reasons.

• Gabapentin

  This seizure drug is given to treat sweating that appears at night.

• Clonidine

  Clonidine is used for hypertension and is given to relieve symptoms hot flashes.

• Antibiotics

  Antibiotics are given if there is recurrent infection in the urinary tract.

• Minoxidil

  Hair care products containing minoxidil can be given to treat hair loss.

• Sleeping pills

  Sleeping pills are given to treat insomnia, and should be taken under the supervision of a doctor.

After 3 months of treatment, the patient is advised to return to the doctor for a check-up. After that, re-examination can be done every one year. This routine check aims to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment given, as well as monitor the patient's health condition.