Nothing to really worry about.
During the process, one is likely to become depressed and irritable.
please take it as it comes and avoid drugging.
Important that those around understand this and be understanding of the individual and do not be aggressive towards them.
Menopause Basics
What Is Menopause?
Menopause is a normal condition that all women experience as they age. The term “menopause” is commonly used to describe any of the changes a woman experiences either just before or after she stops menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period.
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/guide-perimenopause
The time of a woman’s life following menopause is called postmenopause. During this time, many of the bothersome symptoms that a woman experienced prior to menopause, gradually ease for most women. But as a result of several factors including a lower level of estrogen, postmenopausal women are at increased risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease
What Causes Menopause?
A woman is born with a finite number of eggs, which are stored in the ovaries. The ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate menstruation and ovulation. Menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer produce an egg every month and menstruation stops.
Menopause, when it occurs after the age of 40, is considered “natural” and is a normal part of aging. But, some women can experience menopause early, either as a result of surgery, such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries, such as fromchemotherapy. Menopause that occurs before the age of 40, regardless of the cause, is called premature menopause.
How Does Natural Menopause Occur?
Natural menopause is the permanent ending of menstruation that is not brought on by any type of medical treatment. For women undergoing natural menopause, the process is gradual and is described in three stages:
- Perimenopause. Perimenopause typically begins several years before menopause, when the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop releasing eggs. In the last one to two years of perimenopause, the decrease in estrogen accelerates. At this stage, many women experience menopause symptoms (see below).
- Menopause. Menopause is the point when it’s been a year since a woman has her last menstrual period. At this stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen.
- Postmenopause. These are the years after menopause. During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, ease for most women. However, health risks related to the loss of estrogen increase as the woman ages.
What Conditions Cause Premature Menopause?
Premature menopause can be the result of genetics, autoimmune disorders, or medical procedures. Here are some other conditions that may cause early menopause.
- Premature ovarian failure. Normally, the ovaries produce both estrogen and progesterone. Changes in the levels of these two hormones occur when the ovaries, for unknown reasons, prematurely stop producing eggs. When this happens before the age of 40, it is considered to be premature ovarian failure. Unlike premature menopause, premature ovarian failure is not always permanent.
- Induced menopause. “Induced” menopause occurs when the ovaries are surgically removed for medical reasons, such as uterine cancer or endometriosis. Induced menopause can also result from damage to the ovaries caused by radiation or chemotherapy.
Perimenopause, or menopause transition, is the stage of a woman’s reproductive life that begins several years before menopause, when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less estrogen. It usually starts in a woman’s 40s, but can start in a woman’s 30s or even earlier as well.
Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop releasing eggs. In the last one to two years of perimenopause, this decline in estrogen accelerates. At this stage, many women experience menopausal symptoms.
The time of a woman’s life following menopause is called postmenopause. During this time, many of the bothersome symptoms that a woman experienced prior to menopause, gradually ease for most women. But as a result of several factors including a lower level of estrogen, postmenopausal women are at increased risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/health-after-menopause
What Are the Symptoms of Menopause?
Most women approaching menopause or who are postmenopausal will experience hot flashes, a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over the upper body that is often accompanied by blushing and some sweating. The severity of hot flashes varies from mild in most women to severe in others.
Other common symptoms experienced around the time of menopause include:
- Irregular or skipped periods
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Irritability
- Racing heart
- Headaches
- Joint and muscle aches and pains
- Changes in libido (sex drive)
- Vaginal dryness
- Bladder control problems
Not all women get all of these symptoms.
How Do I Know When I Am Going Through Menopause?
When you begin to notice the signs of menopause, either you’ll suspect the approach of menopause on your own, or your doctor will put two and two together when you report your symptoms. Two very simple tests can accurately determine what’s going on and what stage of menopause you’re in. Your follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels will dramatically rise as your ovaries begin to shut down; these levels are easily checked through one blood test.
In addition, your vaginal walls will thin, and the cells lining the vagina will not contain as much estrogen. Your doctor will simply take a Pap-like smear from your vaginal walls — simple and painless — and analyze the smear to check for vaginal “atrophy,” the thinning and drying out of your vagina. It helps if you keep track of your periods and chart them as they become irregular. Your menstrual pattern will be an added clue to your doctor about whether you are pre- or perimenopausal.
What Long-Term Health Problems Are Associated With Menopause?
The loss of estrogen associated with menopause has been linked to a number of health problems that become more common as women age.
After menopause, women are more likely to suffer from:
- Osteoporosis.
- Heart disease.
- Poor bladder and bowel function.
- Poor brain function (increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease).
- Poor skin elasticity (increased wrinkling).
- Poor muscle power and tone.
- Some deterioration in vision, such as from cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) and macular degeneration (breakdown of the tiny spot in the center of the retina that is the center of vision).
There are a number of treatments to consider that can reduce the risks associated with menopause.
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/menopause-basics
Related:
Most women experience menopause around the age of 51. Occasionally, menopause happens after the age of 60 or as young as 45 years of age.
You can also go through menopause f you have had your ovaries removed or have sustained damage to your ovaries, like the damage that can occur from radiation treatments. Perimenopause, which occurs three to five years before menopause happens, is also something to watch out for that signals menopause is not far away. This is when biological and hormonal changes as well as physical symptoms start to occur. There are many body changes during menopause that women go through.
Hormones
When you reach menopause, your ovaries produce less progesterone and estrogen because of aging. These are the hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle. This does not happen overnight; it is a slow process that begins in perimenopause. During this time of falling hormone levels, your menstrual bleeding pattern typically becomes irregular.
Some women may go through bleeding that is greater than usual during their periods. Others go through periods that are very light, missed or overdue for numerous months to even a year before the periods stop completely. It is critical to understand that you can still become pregnant even when your periods are missed or light until menopause is complete.
Hot Flashes
One of the most common symptoms of menopause is hot flashes. When you have a hot flash, you may feel warm from your chest up to your head, usually in wave-like feelings. This can result in a flushed, red look in the face and neck, especially in fair-skinned women.
Many women sweat or feel sick to their stomach and dizzy. Some additionally have a headache and feel like their heart is beating very fast and their pulse rate increases, and can make you perspire in order to cool the body down. Hot flashes are frequently followed by a cold chill and some women only feel the chill.
Vaginal Dryness
During and after menopause, as estrogen levels fall, the vagina’s lining slowly becomes thinner and less able to stretch. The vagina additionally is not able to manufacture as much lubrication or wetness throughout sexual arousal. These changes in the body can cause sex to be very uncomfortable or painful. You can talk to your physician about the risks and benefits of utilizing prescription estrogen cream for vaginal problems.
Additionally, there are some over-the-counter water-based sexual lubricants or vaginal moisturizers to make sex less painful. It can also lead to vaginal inflammation called atrophic vaginitis. These changes can make you more prone to get bacterial overgrowth, urinary tract infections or yeast infections.
Other Changes
There are some other body changes during menopause that you might experience. Some women experience sleep disorders, such as nighttime hot flashes and lack of sleep. Even though the chemical changes that occur in your body during menopause does not increase the chance of having depression, many women have major life changes during menopause and middle age that can increase the chances of her becoming depressed.
Some women complain of irritability or other mood problems during menopause. Part of the problem could be the poor sleep because of the nighttime hot flashes and lack of sleep. Since estrogen levels drop and stay at a low point during menopause, there is a greater chance of developing osteoporosis which is a condition of the bones thinning. Each woman experiences menopause in a different way. There are many ways to resolve the body changes during menopause.
Related:
http://www.brighthub.com/health/womens-health/articles/102607.aspx#ixzz1DKjWyjEf
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