The MENOPAUSE WOMAN
A woman of unfading beauty
Menopause is signalled by 12 months of no menstruation.
Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.
Menopause is a natural biological process. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy or affect emotional health. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy.
Menopause is a natural biological process!
IT IS NOT A DISEASE!
The MENOPASUE SPECIALISTS
Babitha Maturi
Certified Menopause specialist and Senior Gynaecologist
Jaisimha Reddy
Endocrinologist with special interest in Menopause issues
PERIMENOPAUSE
In the months or years leading up to menopause (perimenopause), you might experience these signs and symptoms: Irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hotflashes,chills, mood swings, night sweats, sleep problems and weight gain!
Skipping periods during perimenopause is common and expected. Often, menstrual periods will skip a month and return or might even miss for several months only to start again. Periods also tend to be shorter and occur closer together.
average age of menopause is 50 years
An appointment with your menopause specialist is indicated when you start having any of these symptoms or once your periods have stopped!
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
You do. Although many women think of heart disease as a man’s disease, the number one killer of women is cardiovascular disease, that is, diseases of the heart and circulatory system. After age 55, more than half of all the deaths in women are caused by cardiovascular disease. Risk for this disease increases after menopause. Be sure to talk to our menopause specialist about what your risks are and how you can reduce them.
The common forms of hair loss after menopause are diffuse shedding and “female pattern hair loss,” which typically starts with a widening center part, and the loss is mainly at the top and crown (upper back) of your head. Diffuse shedding usually resolves on its own within 6 months. Why women experience female pattern hair loss is due to a shift in the balance between estrogen and androgens (male hormones). Nutrition and thyroid disease or other medical conditions may also cause hair loss. Talk to menopause specialist at Parijahtam about what the cause may be in your case. You may need to see our dermatologist. You can support healthy hair by eating a healthy diet low in red meat and calories and rich in zinc, iron, vitamin D, and biotin and taking a daily multivitamin. Treatments we may recommend may be aimed at suppressing androgens (with minoxidil-containing scalp treatments or shampoos or with prescription drugs), or we may recommend other prescription medications or antidandruff shampoos.
No, menopause itself doesn’t increase the risk of cancer. But Cancers are more common as people age, however. Most cancers occur in people age 55 and older. If you have any menstrual-like bleeding after menopause, see our gynaecologist at Parijatham for evaluation. We usually advise hystereoscopy to evaluate as Endometrial cancer is common in this age group. We also encourage a colposcopy for cervical screening and a mammogram for breast cancer screening for women in this age group!
Hysterectomy when done will induce menopause as the ovaries would have been removed during surgery and if not removed usually fail to function within few years of surgery. Menopause symptoms related to induced menopause can be similar to those from natural menopause, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and vaginal dryness. But premenopausal women who experience induced menopause can have more intense symptoms and, therefore, a greater need for treatment to control them than women who undergo natural menopause. And because you may be going through menopause at a young age, you need ongoing monitoring and sometimes treatment to lower your risk of menopause associated diseases, such as osteoporosis, later in life.
UNDERSTANDING
HORMONAL THERAPY !
Are you considering menopause hormone therapy? Before making a decision about hormone therapy, here’s some facts you need to know.
Hormone therapies are the prescription drugs used most often to treat hot flashes and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which includes vaginal dryness, after menopause. For hot flashes, hormones are given in pills, patches, sprays, gels that deliver hormones throughout the body—known as “systemic” therapy. For genitourinary symptoms, hormones are given in creams, pills that are inserted into the vagina
Systemic hormones include estrogens—and progestogens, . Another approach to systemic hormone therapy is a pill that combines conjugated estrogens and a compound known as a “SERM” (selective estrogen receptor modulator) that protects the uterus. Women who have had a hysterectomy (had their uterus or womb removed) can use estrogen alone to control their hot flashes. Women who still have a uterus or womb need to take a progestogen in addition to estrogen or the estrogen-SERM combination to protect against uterine cancer. Systemic hormones are very effective for hot flashes and have other benefits, such as protecting your bones. They also carry risks, such as blood clots and breast cancer. The breast cancer risk usually doesn’t rise until after about 5 years with estrogen-progestogen therapy or after 7 years with estrogen alone.
Vaginal estrogen therapy for GSM after menopause is administered in the vagina and is effective for both moisturizing and rebuilding tissue. Very little goes into blood circulation, so the risks are far lower.
Dr Babitha Maturi is a certified menopause specialist with expertise spanning several decades.
