| What is
Menopause? |
Menopause is that point
in time when permanent cessation of menstruation
occurs following the loss of ovarian activity.
It is said to occur when you have not had a menstrual
bleed for 12 consecutive months.
For many women menopause
can be a psychological, emotional and intellectual
turning point in their lives as well as a physical
one, but it does not have to mean a decline. As
children leave home and you look forward to reducing
your workload, you will have more time to yourself
than before, this can be liberating and you can
take the opportunity to reassess your lifestyle
and decide what you want from the future.
Menopause is a perfectly
natural and normal event of life. Menopausal
women do not suffer from a disease (specially
a hormone deficiency) and postmenopausal hormone
therapy should be reviewed as specific treatment
for symptoms in the short term and preventive
pharmacology in the long term. Medical intervention
at this point of life should be seen as an opportunity
to provide and reinforce a programme of preventive
health care. Thus this physiological event brings
patients and clinicians together, providing
the opportunity to enroll them in a preventive
health programme. |
Peri-Menopause :
Perimenopause is the period
immediately before and after the menopause.
This stage lasts several years on either side
of your last menstrual period. It is a retrospective
diagnosis and during this time you notice most
physical changes, periods become irregular and
hot flushes may start.
Climacteric
:
Climacteric indicates
the period of time when a woman passes through
a transition from the reproductive stage of
life to postmenopausal years, a period marked
by waning ovarian function
Facts |
- After menopause women can no longer get pregnant
- Menopause is 12 months without menstrual period
- Perimenopause ( two to ten years )
- Climacteric
|
Age
The average age that women
reach menopause is 51. But menopause can occur
earlier or later. Smokers tend to experience the
event earlier than nonsmokers.
When ovaries
are surgically removed or damaged from cancer
treatment, women will experience "surgical"
menopause
Factors
A risk factor is something
that increases your likelihood of getting a disease
or condition.
Risk factors for
menopause include: |
- Family
history of menopause
- Surgical
removal of the ovaries
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Medications
that reduce estrogen levels
- Smoking
- Autoimmune
diseases
- Medical
treatments (pelvic surgery, surgical removal
of ovaries, chemotherapy, or pelvic radiation
therapy)
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