Menopause: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and ...

Menopause is the end of a woman's menstrual cycles. The term can describe any of the changes you go through just before or after you stop ... MenuNewsReferenceSlideshowsVideosFindaDoctorWebMDRxSavingsCardPerimenopauseMenopausePostmenopauseTreatmentsDailyLivingResourcesBreastCancerRisksDrugInteractionCheckerHormoneTherapyHormonesandHeadachesHotFlashesOsteoporosisPerimenopausePMSWomen’sHealthMenopauseGuideMenuMedicallyReviewedbyGabrielaPichardo, MDonJune12,2022InthisArticleWhatIsMenopause?MenopauseCausesMenopauseSymptomsWhatHappensDuringMenopause?WhatConditionsCausePrematureMenopause?HowLongDoSymptomsofMenopauseLast?MenopauseDiagnosisMenopauseTreatmentAlternativeandComplementaryMenopauseTreatmentsMenopauseComplicationsWhatIsMenopause?Menopause istheendofawoman’smenstrualcycles.Thetermcandescribeanyofthechangesyougothroughjustbeforeorafteryoustophavingyourperiod,markingtheendofyourreproductiveyears.MenopauseCausesWomenarebornwithalloftheir eggs,whicharestoredintheirovaries.Theirovariesalsomakethehormones estrogen and progesterone,whichcontrol theirperiod(menstruation) and thereleaseofeggs(ovulation).Menopausehappenswhentheovariesnolongerreleaseaneggeverymonthand menstruation stops.Menopauseisaregularpartofagingwhenithappensaftertheageof40.Butsomewomencangothroughmenopauseearly.Itcanbetheresultofsurgery,likeiftheirovariesareremovedina hysterectomy,ordamagetotheirovaries,suchasfrom chemotherapy.Ifithappensbeforeage40,foranyreason,it’scalledprematuremenopause.MenopauseSymptomsFirstsignsofmenopauseMostwomennearingmenopausewillbeginexperiencingsomeofanarrayofwhatarecalledvasomotorsymptoms(VMS).Themostcommonis hotflashes,suddenfeelingsofwarmththatspreadovertheupperbody,oftenwithblushingand sweating.Theseflashescanrangefrommildinmostwomentosevereinothers.Youmayalsonotice:UnevenormissedperiodsVaginaldrynessSorebreastsNeedingtopeemoreoftenTroublesleepingEmotionalchangesDryskin,eyes,ormouthSymptomsofmenopauseLater VMS ofteninclude:FatigueDepressionCrankinessRacing heartHeadachesJointandmuscleachesandpainsWeightgainHairlossChangesinlibido (sexdrive)WhatHappensDuringMenopause?Naturalmenopauseisn’tcausedbyanytypeofmedicalorsurgicaltreatment.It’sslowandhasthreestages:Perimenopause.Thisphaseusuallybeginsseveralyearsbeforemenopause,whenyourovariesslowlymakeless estrogen. Perimenopause lastsuntilmenopause,thepointatwhichyourovariesstopreleasingeggs.Inthelast1to2yearsofthisstage,estrogenlevelsfallfaster.Manywomenhave menopausesymptoms.Menopause. Thisiswhenit'sbeenayearsinceyouhadaperiod.Yourovarieshavestoppedreleasingeggsandmakingmostoftheirestrogen.Postmenopause. Thesearetheyearsaftermenopause.MenopausalVMSsuchas hotflashes usuallyease.Buthealthrisksrelatedtothelossofestrogenincreaseasyougetolder.WhatConditionsCausePrematureMenopause?Yourgenes, someimmunesystemdisorders,ormedicalprocedurescancauseprematuremenopause.Othercausesinclude:Prematureovarianfailure(or PrimaryOvarianInsufficiency). Whenyourovariesprematurelystopreleasingeggs,forunknownreasons,yourlevelsofestrogenandprogesteronechange.Whenthishappensbeforeyou’re40,it'scalledprematureovarianfailure.Unlikeprematuremenopause,prematureovarianfailureisn’talwayspermanent.Inducedmenopause. Thishappenswhenyourdoctortakesoutyourovariesformedicalreasons,suchas uterinecancer or endometriosis.Itcanalsohappenwhen radiation or chemotherapy damagesyourovaries.HowLongDoSymptomsofMenopauseLast?Menopauseisdifferentineachwoman.Ingeneral,thesymptomsofperimenopauselastabout4years.MenopauseDiagnosisYoumightsuspectthatyou’regoingintomenopause.Oryourdoctorwillsaysomething,basedonsymptomsyou'vetoldthemabout.Youcankeeptrackofyourperiodsandchartthemastheybecomeuneven.Thepatternwillbeanothercluetoyourdoctorthatyou’reperimenopausalornearingmenopause.Yourdoctormightalsotestyourbloodforlevelsof:Follicle-stimulatinghormone(FSH). Thisusuallygoesupasyounearmenopause.Estradiol. Thistellsyourdoctorhowmuchestrogenyourovariesaremaking. Thislevelwillgodowninmenopause.Thyroidhormones. Thisshowsproblemswithyourthyroidgland,whichcanaffectyourperiodandcausesymptomsthatlooklikemenopause.MenopauseTreatmentMenopauseisanaturalprocess.Manysymptomswillgoawayovertime.Butifthey’recausingproblems,treatmentscanhelpyoufeelbetter.Commononesinclude:Hormonereplacementtherapy(HRT). Thisisalsocalledmenopausalhormonetherapy.Youtakemedicationstoreplacethehormonesthatyourbodyisn’tmakinganymore.Certaindrugsorcombinationscanhelpwithhotflashesandvaginalsymptoms,aswellasmakingyourbonesstronger.Buttheycanalsoputyouathigherriskofhealthproblemslikeheartdiseaseorbreastcancer,soyoushouldtakethelowestdosethatworksfortheshortesttimepossible.Topicalhormonetherapy. Thisisanestrogencream,insert,orgelthatyouputinyourvaginatohelpwithdryness.Nonhormonemedications. Thedepressiondrugparoxetine(Brisdelle,Paxil)isFDA-approvedtotreathotflashes.Thenervedruggabapentin(Gralise,Neuraptine,Neurontin)andthebloodpressuredrugclonidine(Catapres,Kapvay)mightalsoeasethem.Medicinescalledselectiveestrogenreceptormodulators(SERMs)helpyourbodyuseitsestrogentotreathotflashesandvaginaldryness.Medicationsforosteoporosis. YoumighttakemedicinesorvitaminDsupplementstohelpkeepyourbonesstrong.LifestylechangesLifestylechangeshelpmanywomendealwithmenopausesymptoms.Trythesesteps:Ifyou’rehavinghotflashes,drinkcoldwater,sitorsleepnearafan,anddressinlayers.Useanover-the-countervaginalmoisturizerorlubricantfordryness.Exerciseregularlytosleepbetterandpreventconditionslikeheartdisease,diabetes,andosteoporosis.StrengthenyourpelvicfloormuscleswithKegelexercisestopreventbladderleaks.Staysociallyandmentallyactivetopreventmemoryproblems.Don’tsmoke.Tobaccomightcauseearlymenopauseandincreasehotflashes.Limithowmuchalcoholyoudrink,toloweryourchanceofgettingbreastcancerandhelpyousleepbetter.Eatavarietyoffoodsandkeepahealthyweighttohelpwithhotflashes.Practicethingslikeyoga,deepbreathing,ormassagetohelpyourelax.AlternativeandComplementaryMenopauseTreatmentsSomestudieshavefoundthatsoyproductsrelievehotflashes,butresearchersarestilllookingintoit.Therearen’tmanylargestudiesonwhetherothersupplementssuchasblackcohoshor“bioidentical”hormonesworkformenopausesymptoms.Talktoyourdoctorbeforestartinganyherbalordietarysupplements.Yoga,taichi,andacupuncturearesaferwaystomanagemenopausesymptoms.MenopauseComplicationsThelossofestrogenlinkedwithmenopauseistiedtoanumberofhealthproblemsthatbecomemorecommonaswomenage.Aftermenopause,womenaremorelikelytohave:Boneloss(osteoporosis)HeartdiseaseBladder andbowelsthatdon’tworkliketheyshouldHigherriskof Alzheimer'sdiseaseMorewrinklesPoormusclepowerandtoneWeaker vision,suchasfrom cataracts (cloudingofthelensofthe eye)and maculardegeneration (breakdownofthetinyspotinthecenteroftheretinathatisthecenterof vision)Itcanbetoughtomanagethesexualchangesthatcomealongwithmenopause,likevaginaldrynessandalossofsexdrive.Youmightalsofindthatyoudon’tenjoysexasmuchandhavetroublereachingorgasm.Aslongasitisn’tpainful,regularsexualactivitymayhelpkeepyourvaginahealthybypromotingbloodflow.Yourovarieshavestoppedsendingouteggsonceyou’reinmenopause,soyoucan’tgetpregnant.Butyoucanstillgetasexuallytransmitteddisease.Usesafersexpracticesifyou’renotinarelationshipwithoneperson.NextArticleMenopauseFAQMenopauseGuidePerimenopauseMenopausePostmenopauseTreatmentsDailyLivingResources[vid_icon]AreYouAvoidingSex?MenopauseandUrinaryTractInfectionsThyroidDiseaseandMenopause[ss_icon]Menopause:WhattoExpectHRT:WhatAretheRisks?TreatingMenstrualMigrainesAllAboutMenopauseandPerimenopauseWhatCausesNightSweatsExplainedWithPicturesTheChangeBefore'TheChange'WhenYourPeriodSignalsaProblemHowtoSleepBetterWithMenopauseChangingHormonesandMoodSwings:WhatYouCanDoHavingTroubleSleeping?PerimenopauseTopics10TipstoDealWithMenopauseSymptomsHowtohandleheadaches,nightsweats,andmore.Overview:AllAboutMenopauseSymptomsandtreatments.7SignsYou'reinPerimenopauseSomeofthesemaysurpriseyou.8CausesofNightSweatsIsitmenopauseorsomethingelse?ArticleHotFlashes:SymptomsandTreatmentArticleMenopauseandDietArticle7TriggersforHotFlashesArticleMenopauseandYourSexDriveSlideshowTipsforGreatSkinAfter50ArticleWhatHappensAfterMenopause?QuizHormones:HowDoTheyWork?ArticleNaturalMenopauseSymptomReliefUpsidesofMenopauseandSex7SignsofPerimenopauseQuestionsAboutHRT?SexandMenopauseMenopauseandWeightGainHealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads