When a woman approaches the late 40s and into the 50s, a common occurrence is when your body is ready to ceases its reproduction ability. This is a natural change to the body which very much signals the end of a woman’s fertile phase. This simply is called menopause and it simply means that you will no longer be able to conceive.
Prevalence
When you no longer experience periods or any menstrual flow, the state is known as menopause. This is when the ripening and release of ova ceases and will usually occurs when you are in your late 40s. Most women at this age will start experiencing menopause while some will only experience this into the 50s and even 60s although that is quite rare.
Menopause will occur in a gradual state where your body changes from potentially reproductive to non-reproductive and it is part and parcel of the aging process. When menopause happens, it can have different effects on the woman especially when you have to come in terms that you are aging and will no longer be able to conceive babies.
Prevention
As menopause is a natural occurrence, there are no preventive measures that can be taken and every woman will have to go through this as part of the growing old process. However, there are several symptoms of menopause that can be very distressing like deteriorating bone health. As you approach your menopausal years, ensure that you are eating healthy with a rich blend of calcium and magnesium for optimal bone and muscle health. The implications of menopause can be quite crucial which means you need to maintain good mental health especially if you experience post-menstrual syndrome (PMS).
Diagnosis
Your gynaecologist will usually carry out some tests to confirm if you are having menopause because the symptoms can sometimes be confusing. In most cases, you will have a strong feeling if you are starting menopause. In most cases, you will feel that a major change is happening within you especially if you are around the age between 50 and 60. To run a proper diagnosis, your doctor needs to know the date of your last period and if you are having any symptoms like hot flashes, unusual mood swings and then carry out a Vaginal pH level check. This will confirm if you have menopause in which the pH could be as high as 6. Other common types of diagnostics carried out include a blood test, a thyroid function test, profiling your lipid and in some cases, a Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Test if required.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of menopause is when you stopped having your period for more than 6 months. If you have not had your period for more a full 12 months, then it is very much confirmed that you have menopause. It must be noted that there are a lot o negative effects of menopause and your doctor will be the best person to advise you on what to do. Besides that, you could be experiencing hot flashes, mood swings which can be very extreme, abnormal pain in the vagina and mostly during intercourse and decreased libido. In most cases, you will experience heavy bleeding which is not usual during your menstrual cycles.
Specialists
The first person you should check with if you start experiencing any of the menopause symptoms would be your gynaecologist or your family physician. In most cases, these doctors will be able to treat your condition and advise you on the next course of action. This is because menopause is a very common occurrence among women and there is a standard treatment for this condition. In some rare occasions, you might be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon if it has been found that you have weak bones.
Medication
Common medication used to treat patients with menopause includes birth control pills as they are formulated to regulate menstrual bleeding. In fact, these pills can help to relieve the symptoms until your menopause actually occur. Besides that, you could be given Progestin which helps to release levonorgestrel IUD into the uterus which helps to reduce heavy bleeding. In certain cases, you might be required to undergo hormone therapy and if estrogen therapy fails, then you might have to undergo testosterone therapy.
Home Remedies
One of the best home remedies for menopause is to take lots of soy. You can eat a lot of tofu as it has a lot of phytoestrogens while soy is known to have a lot of isoflavones. Hot flashes and night sweats are very common, so you should take some black cohosh in tincture form that helps to relieve this symptom. Exercising really works but it is difficult as you might feel fatigue during menopause. Try to enjoy a workout and sweat out the toxin from your body. Your diet should be balanced with a lot of fiber to flush out unwanted foods from your body.
Do men get Menopause?
The answer is YES. When a person gets menopause, it simply means that there are some changes to the hormones. Although there is yet to be any concrete term for male menopause, there are sure signs that this is actually happening.
What?
The main factor about male menopause is that there is no specific period, unlike how a woman experiences it. However, when a male experiences a decline in androgen or testosterone, that is where you get low testosterone which is when you are experiencing this condition.
In most cases, the male will experience a decline in the production of testosterone when aging which is likely the reason why men above 50 years old are at high risk of ED (Erectile Dysfunction). However, it has been found that men with diabetes could experience this as well.
Symptoms of Male Menopause
Among the common symptoms that a man is experiencing menopause is fatigue, weakness in the body all the time, reduced interest in sex and even depression.
Difference
Although the concept is quite the same, the decline in testosterone production in men is a slower process as compared to the female. In women menopause, hormone production completely stops which means she can no longer conceive. However, the male testes can continue to produce healthy sperm until the 80s or even later than normal.
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References
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20019726
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/tc/menopause-and-perimenopause-medications
http://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/prevention#BoneStrength6