Indications and
signs of menopause
During the menopausal transition, as the body responds to the rapidly fluctuating levels of natural hormones fall, you may see a number of effects. Not all women experience bothersome levels of these effects, the range of effects and the degree in which they appear is very variable from one person to another.
Effects that are due to low estrogen levels (eg vaginal atrophy and skin drying) continue after menopause transition years are, however, many of the effects produced by the extreme fluctuations in hormone levels (eg, hot flashes and mood changes) usually disappear or improve significantly once the perimenopause transition is completely finished. All the various possible perimenopause effects are caused by an overall drop, as well as dramatic but erratic fluctuations, in absolute and relative levels of estrogen and progesterone levels. Effects such as tingling (crawling, itching or tingling skin) can be associated directly with hormone withdrawal.
Both users and
non-users of hormone replacement therapy identify lack of energy as the most
frequent and distressing effect. Other
effects can include vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, palpitations and
psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings,
memory problems and lack of concentration, and atrophic effects such as vaginal
dryness and urgency of urination.
The average woman
also has increasingly menstrual periods irregular because ovulations omitted. Typically,
the time of the flow becomes unpredictable. Furthermore,
the duration of flow can be significantly shorter or longer than normal, and
the flow itself may be significantly heavier or lighter than was previously the
case, including staining times long bouts. Early
in the process, it is not uncommon for some cycles of 2 weeks. Also
in the process is common to omit periods of months at a time, and these skipped
periods may be followed by a heavier period. The
number of skipped periods in a row often increases as time approaches the last
time. By
the time a woman of menopausal age has had periods or spotting for 12 months,
is considered to be a year of post-menopause.
One way to assess
the impact on women of some of these effects menopause are the Greene
Climacteric Scale questionnaire, Cervantes Scale and the Scale for the
Assessment of menopause
• Vascular
Instability
• Hot flashes or
hot flushes, including night sweats and, in some people, chills
• Possible
increased risk of atherosclerosis but contentious
• Migraine
• Rapid heartbeat
Urogenital atrophy,
vaginal atrophy, also known as
Atrophic vaginitis
• thinning the membrane of the vulva, vagina, cervix, urinary tract and outside, together with a considerable shrinkage and loss of elasticity of all internal and external genital areas.
• Itching
• Dryness
• Young women who
are approaching menopause may experience dysfunctional bleeding due to hormonal
changes that accompany the transition to menopause. Genital
bleeding is an alarming symptom for postmenopausal women requiring adequate
study to rule out malignancy. Spotting
or bleeding may be related to a harmless pain (polyp or lesion) or functional
endometrial response (noncancerous). The
European Menopause and Andropause Society has published guidelines for the
evaluation of the endometrium, which is the main source of spotting or
bleeding.
• Watery
• Urinary frequency
• Urinary
incontinence can worsen menopause-related quality of life, although urinary
incontinence is more related to obstetric events menopause.
• Urinary urgency
• Increased
susceptibility to inflammation and infection, for example vaginal candidiasis
and urinary tract infections
Skeletal
Skeletal
• Backache
• Joint pain,
muscle pain
• Osteopenia and
the risk of developing osteoporosis over time gradually
Skin, soft tissue
Skin, soft tissue
• breast atrophy
• Breast tenderness
swelling
• Decreased skin
elasticity
• Tingling
(itching, tingling, burning, tingling or sensation of ants on or under the
skin)
• Thinning and
become dry
Psychological
• Depression and /
or anxiety
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Loss of memory
and concentration problems
• Mood Disorders
• Sleep
disturbances, poor quality sleep, light sleep, insomnia and drowsiness.
Sexual
• Dyspareunia or
painful intercourse
• Decreased libido
• The problems
reaching orgasm
• Vaginal dryness
and vaginal atrophy
Cohort studies have
reached varying conclusions about medical conditions associated with menopause.
For
example, a 2007 study found that menopause was associated with hot flashes,
joint pain and muscle pain, and depressed mood. In
the same study, it was found that menopause is not associated with lack of
sleep, decreased libido and vaginal dryness. However,
in contrast to this, a 2008 study found an association with poor sleep quality.
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