Some Facts About Menopause that you Should be Aware of
Gynaecologists can be considered as a woman’s most trusted friend as a woman’s health is taken care of by her gynaecologist when it comes to female problems. There are many issues that a woman faces from the time she experienced her first periods till her lifetime. What women take very lightly is their menopause and thus, it becomes important that women should discuss the dos and don’ts of menopause and everything that they have in their minds regarding it as it is an important phase of their lives. You can visit the best hospitals in Noida to see an experienced gynaecologist regarding your issues. There are some important points about menopause that we are aware of and we are here to discuss them here.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
The common symptoms of menopause in women:
● Hot flashes
● Night sweats
● Dryness in Vagina
● Uncomfortable sex
● Feeling to urinate more frequently
● Insomnia
● Frequent emotional changes
● Dryness in skin, eyes, or mouth
Important points about Menopause
- The age of Menopause
The average age for menopause is 50 as most women experience menopause between ages 45 to 55. The decline in ovary functions occurs many years before it actually happens but in most cases it also depends upon the family history. Other factors that can contribute to the decline of ovarian function can be smoking, drug abuse, chemotherapy and many more. But there are some women who experience menopause in their late 50’s.
2. Perimenopause and menopause are two different things
Perimenopause is the time that a woman experiences just before menopause begins where the changes in the body start occurring. The ovaries stop releasing eggs, you may experience irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep issues, mood swings, changes in sexual functions, loss of bone, and hormonal changes. Once your period completely stops for 12 consecutive months then it is the time you enter menopause.
3. Hot flashes
Hot flashes are a common experience among women going through the phase of menopause. A woman may experience a sudden rise in body temperature, redness or blotchiness, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, mood swings, muscle and joint pain and feelings of dizziness. You may also get chills after the flashes that last between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. It may differ in different people and some may have it daily and some once in a month or in a year. If you are obese or smoke then it might get worsen.
You should avoid certain things if you want to reduce their occurrence. They are:
● Consumption of alcohol or caffeine
● Smoking
● Eating spicy food
● Feeling of stress
● Hot places
Things you should avoid:
● Try to remain at cool places
● Do breathing exercises
● Medications
● Hormone therapy
4. Bone Health
Bone health can be severely affected during menopause due to the decline in the production of estrogen. This can affect bone health due to the less amount of calcium production in your bones causing a decrease in bone density that can cause osteoporosis. This is the reason that as women age they become more prone to hip, spine, and other bone fractures. To keep your bones healthy it is imperative to:
● Eat food and consume dairy products that has lot of calcium
● Intake of vitamin D supplements.
● Exercise regularly
● Reduce the consumption of alcohol
● Avoid or quit smoking
● Take the medication prescribed by your doctor
5. Some may experience heart disease
During menopause heart-related conditions might occur. You may experience dizziness or cardiac palpitations. Decreased estrogen levels can impact heart functions and prevent your body from retaining flexible arteries that can impact the blood flow. In this condition, it becomes important to maintain your weight, have a healthy diet, exercise daily, and quit smoking to maintain a healthy heart.
6. Weight gain
After menopause changes in hormonal level take place that can bring a change in your weight that usually results in weight gain though aging can also be another factor in your weight gain. All you need to do is watch your weight, maintain a balanced diet, and exercise regularly. An overweight person has more risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other medical conditions.
How to maintain weight?
● Focus on a healthy lifestyle
● Eat a balanced diet that includes more calcium and less sugar
● Engage in intense exercise such as running every day
7. Discomfort during sex
Though the symptoms of menopause vary from one woman to another, most women experience discomfort during sex due to dryness in the vagina. Talk to your gynaecologist if you have any questions about it as she may prescribe you some medications or lubricants. You can have the right advice from the best gynaecologist in Noida.
8. Mental health
Menopause can surely take a toll on your mental health. The women can experience mood swings and they may feel depressed, anxious, unable to concentrate on anything, they tend to forget things and feel irritated on even the smallest thing that is not going according to them.
Test that is needed after menopause
Menopause can become the cause of many health conditions thus it requires regular screenings that can rule out any major health risk. Once you are aware of any such health risk you can get away with it by starting your consultation and medications. Some of the test that is a must after menopause is:
● Mammogram
● Pap test
● Human papillomavirus (HPV) test
● Blood tests like sugar levels and cholesterol levels
● Blood pressure test
● Bone mass densitometry (BMD)
● Height measurements (to check bone loss)
Lifestyle changes needed
Apart from hormone therapy, changes in your lifestyle may help you relieve of your symptoms. These changes may include:
● Healthy diet
● exercise
● room temperature reductions
● Avoid foods that aggravate the symptoms
● Wearing light cotton clothing
● Herbal therapies,
● Acupuncture,
● Low-dose antidepressants
● Other medications
