The menopause, sometimes known as the “change of life,” occurs when levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone fall and your ovaries stop producing eggs. Menstruation ends and you are no longer able to conceive.

Perimenopause is the months and years prior to menopause. For some women the perimenopause period may be short, only a year or two. For others it may be as long as seven to ten years. Some women in their late thirties and early forties may begin to show symptoms. Menopause is defined one year after menstrual periods have ended.

Sign and symptoms  • Hot flashes, flushes, or power surges—sense of warmth that starts suddenly, usually over your face, neck, and chest. • Related to fluctuations in estrogen, occurs only during perimenopause when estrogen levels are decreasing. • Fluctuating estrogen levels may cause an imbalance in the hypothalamus. The body is tricked into thinking it is too hot. To cool itself blood is rushed to the surface of the skin, therefore resulting in a flushed appearance. • Night sweats—when hot flashes interfere with sleep• Vaginal dryness, itching, and irritation. • Thinning of the vaginal lining may cause painful intercourse. • Urinary tract infections, need to urinate frequently, burning on urination, itching in the urethra area. • Urinary incontinence if the uterus and bladder slip lower into the pelvis. • Osteoporosis—or bone density loss occurs when estrogen diminishes to a low level. The most rapid bone loss occurs during the first ten years of menopause. • Heart rate rises after menopause. Estrogen helped to dilate the arteries. Menopausal women are at greater risk of heart attacks. • Skin changes with an increase in wrinkles. The decreasing estrogen levels makes the skin more elastic.

Major depression in menopause Women who experience a major depression in the postpartum period may be at greater risk of experiencing a depression in menopause. if a woman’s body is sensitive to hormonal shifts in the past, it may be sensitive to shifts in the future. however, not all women who experience a major depression in the postpartum period will experience a major depression during peri-menopause or menopause. Women who experience major depression during menopause can be successfully treated with anti-depressants alone, or in conjunction with hormone replacement therapy.

Self care • Vitamin E may alleviate hot flashes. • Eat foods rich in natural estrogens—yams, lentils, oat bran, tofu, and soy milk. • get plenty of relaxation and sleep—the brain regulates its biochemistry during sleep. • Take time for yourself. Read, keep a journal, and take a class you have always wanted. • Exercise regularly to reduce your stress and to help regulate your sleep cycle (eg walking, swimming).• Prevent osteoporosis. • Eat calcium rich foods.

Menopause and hormone replacementOnly consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after looking at your psychological and physical risks, your personal history, and your family history. HRT is a treatment used to replace the female hormones that a woman’s body is no longer producing because of the menopause. The menopause, sometimes known as the “change of life,” occurs when levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone fall and your ovaries stop producing eggs. Menstruation (your periods) ends and you are no longer able to conceive (become pregnant).

Oestrogen and progesterone have very important roles in a woman’s body. When levels fall, this causes a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. HRT can restore these hormone levels and enable the body to function normally again. HRT has been extensively studied and a great deal of information is known about the benefits and the risks. The main and most obvious benefit of HRT is that it has proved very successful in controlling the symptoms of the menopause.

Does anyone know symptoms of a blood clot? or what you do to get rid of one?

Yesterday the back of my thigh started really hurting. its sore like I've been working out, only I haven't. Pretty much all of Sunday and Monday I just laid on the couch reading a book. could I have a blood clot? can I just take some asprin?

the symptoms of a blood clot are the following:

swelling,

warmth,

redness, and

pain.

I'm not sure about the asprin part you may wanna do research on it.

Menopause, the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is not a disease or an illness. it is a transition between two phases of a woman’s life. many women experience a variety of symptoms as a result of the hormonal changes associated with the transition through menopause. Around the time of menopause, women often lose bone density and their blood cholesterol levels may worsen, increasing their risk of heart disease.

Premature menopause: The average age of US women at the time of menopause is 51 years. The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered to be premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. for most women, menopause is a normal occurrence.

Menopause Symptoms

Hot flashes: Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause. According to some studies, hot flashes occur in as many as 75% of perimenopausal women. Hot flash symptoms vary among women. Commonly, the hot flash is a feeling of warmth that spreads over the body, lasting from around 30 seconds to a few minutes. Flushed (reddened) skin, palpitations (feeling a strong heartbeat), and sweating often accompany hot flashes. Hot flashes often increase skin temperature and pulse, and they can cause insomnia, or sleeplessness. Hot flashes usually last 2-3 years, but many women can experience them for up to 5 years. an even smaller percentage may have them for more than 15 years.

Urinary incontinence and burning on urination

Vaginal changes: because estrogen affects the vaginal lining, perimenopausal women may also have pain during intercourse and may note a change in vaginal discharge.

Breast changes: Menopause may cause changes in the shape of the breasts.

Bone loss: Rapid bone loss is common during the perimenopausal years. most women reach their peak bone density when aged 25-30 years. after that, bone loss averages 0.13% per year. During perimenopause, bone loss accelerates to about a 3% loss per year. Later, it drops off to about a 2% loss per year. No pain is usually associated with bone loss. however, bone loss can cause osteoporosis, a condition that increases the risk of bone fractures. These fractures can be intensely painful and can interfere with daily life. They also can increase the risk of death.

Cholesterol: Cholesterol profiles also change significantly at the time of menopause. Total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels increase. Increased LDL cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Heart disease risk increases after menopause, although it is unclear exactly how much is due to aging and how much is caused by the hormonal changes that occur at the time of menopause. Women who undergo premature menopause or have their ovaries removed surgically at an early age are at an increased risk of heart disease.

Weight gain: a three year study of healthy women nearing menopause found an average gain of five pounds during the three years. Hormonal changes and aging are both possible factors in this weight gain.

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Menopause Treatment

Menopause is not a disease that has a definitive cure or treatment. Health care practitioners, however, can offer a variety of treatments for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that become bothersome. many prescription medications exist to prevent and control high cholesterol and bone loss, which can occur at menopause. Some women do not need therapy, or they may choose not to take medications at all during their menopausal years.

Menopause Supplements

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