{"id":4909,"date":"2024-04-05T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T04:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=4909"},"modified":"2024-04-08T10:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T04:30:29","slug":"lets-talk-the-taboo-menopause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=4909","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s talk the taboo: Menopause\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Words by Rosu Katwal<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reproductive health in general is stigmatized and menopause is no exception. Menopause is \u201cThe significant change&#8221; a transition phase that every woman must go through once in a lifetime. However, we live in a society where topic like menopause has been historically muted for years because society often tagged menopause as a sign of ageing and the loss of sexual vitality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Understanding Menopause:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Menopause is a natural biological process defined by absence of menstrual period for consecutive 12 months. Menopause, typically occur in between ages 45 &amp; 55, is a decline in naturally estrogen producing by ovaries. This hormonal shift brings about change in menstrual cycle, eventually leading to complete cessation of mensuration. The process is gradual and happens in three stages viz- perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Perimenopause phase:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0It usually starts when women reach their 40s; 8-10 years before menopause when their ovaries gradually start producing less estrogen. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when ovaries stop releasing eggs. In last one-two years of menopause, the drop in estrogen accelerates that&#8217;s when people may experience menopause symptoms while still having menstrual cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Menopause:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complete cessation of menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months in the age between 45 to 55 years is called menopause. At this stage, ovaries stops releasing eggs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Post menopause:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the time of life after menopause. During this phage; menopausal symptoms may get better but as a result of low estrogen level, people in post-menopausal phase are at in risk of severe health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Symptoms of menopause:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hot flashes (sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over body)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Night sweats and cold flashes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Difficulty in sleeping<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Emotional changes (Irritability, mood swings, mild depression)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Vaginal dryness &amp; urinary urgency<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Irregular periods &amp; worsening of PMS<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people might also experience:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Palpitation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Joint &amp; muscle pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Changes in libido\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Memory lapses\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Weight gain\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hair loss<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is necessary to note that not everyone will have same symptoms,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Change in hormone level cause these symptoms and its intensity can vary.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Symptoms can persist up-to 70 Years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Can menopause be treated??<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People may not need treatment of menopause but in some cases, we can treat the symptoms of menopause if it\u2019s necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hormone therapy<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Non hormonal treatment<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Hormonal Therapy:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During menopause, ovaries no longer synthesize estrogen and progesterone. So, hormone therapy can make up for low level of hormones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hormone therapy boost hormone level that can help to minimize the symptoms like hot flashes, skin and vaginal dryness. There are two types of hormone therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Estrogen therapy (ET)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Estrogen Progesterone Therapy (EPT)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Non hormonal therapies:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non hormonal treatment include changes in life style<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Changes in diet (consumption of nutritious food)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Avoid smoking and drinking habit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Avoiding trigger to hot flashes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Joining support groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prescription medications if necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Health risk associated with menopause.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several conditions that could be at higher risk after menopause. These risks mainly depends on family history, lifestyle, other factors or maybe idiopathic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Osteoporosis:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is called brittle bone disease. Bone become more fragile and likely to fracture due to decrease in estrogen level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Coronary artery disease:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is narrowing or blockage of arteries that supplies heart muscle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of estrogen, decrease physical activity, smoking habit aids to this risks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Other risks include:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a) Weight gain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">b) Mood disorders<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">c) Cognitive decline of memory<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d) Urinary incontinence<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e) Breast cancer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We should do comprehensive approach to manage health risk like regular medical checkups, adopting healthy lifestyle, maintaining balanced diet, staying physically active and managing stress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Menopause is not merely the end of fertility but beginning of new chapter in woman&#8217;s life. By understanding changes, embracing healthy lifestyle choices and seeking professional guidance when needed, woman can navigate this transition with grace and resilience. Through education, support and self-care practices, menopause can be re-framed as a time of empowerment and renewal, allowing women to embrace their full potential and thrive beyond reproductive years.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Words by Rosu Katwal Reproductive health in general is stigmatized and menopause is no exception. Menopause is \u201cThe significant change&#8221; a transition phase that every woman must go through once in a lifetime. However, we live in a society where topic like menopause has been historically muted for years because society often tagged menopause &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":4910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[39,107],"tags":[4293],"class_list":["post-4909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-feature","category-flash-news","tag-issue-45"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/medicosnext.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/menopause-definitions-4588759_final-8687dbdd6c5e4fa4859045bc34a7ae8d.png?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4909"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4911,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4909\/revisions\/4911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}