Menopause

Overview

Menopause is the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and fertility. It happens when the ovaries no longer make estrogen and progesterone, two hormones needed for a woman's fertility, and periods have stopped for 1 year.

The term "menopause" is commonly used to describe any of the changes women experience either just before or after they stop menstruating, marking the end of their reproductive period.

Menopause simply means the end of menstruation for one year. As women age, there is a gradual decline in the function of their ovaries and the production of estrogen.

Discuss these frequently asked questions and answers about menopause with your doctor.

In addition to dealing with hot flashes, mood swings, and other symptoms that accompany menopause, many women undergoing premature menopause have to cope with additional physical and emotional concerns.

Premature menopause is menopause that happens before the age of 40 — whether it is natural or induced. Women who enter menopause early get symptoms similar to those of natural menopause, like hot flashes, emotional problems, vaginal dryness, and decreased sex drive.

Surgical menopause It's menopause that develops suddenly after the ovaries -- the main producers of the hormone estrogen -- are surgically removed.

Causes and Symptoms

Loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause.

Some women experience induced menopause as a result of surgery or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy.

If menopausal symptoms occur, they may include hot flashes, night sweats, pain during intercourse, increased anxiety or irritability, and the need to urinate more often.

Hot flashes occur in more than two-thirds of North American women during perimenopause and almost all women with induced menopause or premature menopause.

Doctors often hear their patients complain of night sweats. Night sweats refer to excess sweating during the night.The hot flashes that accompany menopause can occur at night and cause sweating.

Millions of women with menopausal-like symptoms, even those taking estrogen, may be suffering from undiagnosed thyroid disease. While symptoms such as fatigue, depression, mood swings, and sleep disturbances are frequently associated with menopause, they may also be signs of hypothyroidism.

Diagnosis and Tests

Because hormone levels may fluctuate greatly in an individual woman, even from one day to the next, they are not a reliable indicator for diagnosing menopause.

So what about this new home menopause kit? It tests the level of FSH (follicle- stimulating hormone) in the urine.

Knowing how to talk to your doctor or other members of your health care team can help you get the information you need about menopause.

Since you've recently been diagnosed with menopause, ask your doctor these questions at your next visit.

Protecting Your Health

Because the risk of cancer increases with age, having regular pelvic exams may help in early detection of certain cancers in both menopausal and postmenopausal women.

Menopause itself is not linked to a higher risk of developing cancer. But the rates of many cancers, including ovarian cancer, do rise with age.

The risk of breast cancer increases with age. That is why it is very important for all menopausal women to get regular mammograms.

During perimenopause -- the years before your periods stop -- you’ll start to notice changes in the size and shape of your breasts. You may also notice that they feel tender and achy at unexpected times. Or they may be lumpier than they used to be.

Menopause itself is not associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. However, the rates of many cancers, including breast cancer, do increase with age.

If you're going through menopause, you may be concerned about health problems. People who have one or more specific risk factors for coronary heart disease may be at much greater risk for heart disease than people with no risk factors.

Once women reach the age of 50, about the age of natural menopause, their risk for heart disease increases dramatically. In young women who have undergone early or surgical menopause, who do not take estrogen, their risk for heart disease is also higher.

Menopausal women who have more than one specific risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), like high cholesterol, may be at much greater risk for heart disease than people with no risk factors.

There is a direct relationship between the lack of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause and the development of osteoporosis.

There is a direct relationship between the lack of estrogen after menopause and the contribution to osteoporosis. Because symptoms of osteoporosis may not develop until bone loss is extensive, it is important for women at risk for osteoporosis to undergo regular bone testing.

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