Fading, menopause( from the Greek meno - the month and pausis - pause) is a stage in the life of a woman between the procreational age and the onset of aging. Monthly with menopause may behave as an unbalanced mechanism. To be afraid of this does not follow, like any normal physiological process.
This period of life is associated with the attenuation of the activity of gonads - organs that produce sex cells - gametes. Female gonads are the ovaries, the male testes. Ovary secretes eggs, progestins and estrogens. But the body no longer needs to carry a "recreational service", so it naturally changes. In the process of this restructuring - from 40-45 years and until the full onset of menopause - all kinds of oscillations of the cycle are possible, and the woman worries: why have the men stopped? Or on the contrary: why after forty I have a monthly two times a month?
Because we are entering an interesting age of change, which lasts 1-2 years. Now our body will work only for us, it is no longer intended for the caring of someone else's life. And it's not so bad.
There are times when the climax comes in 38-40 years. It is not considered a variant of the norm and often has a pharmacological character. It can cause strong medications, immune system disorders, thyroid disease or diabetes. Early menopause often occurs in twins. About 5% of twins enter into menopause up to 40 years. The reasons do not know the science, but the doctors have learned to transplant ovarian tissue to return the young woman's reproductive abilities.
The early menopause occurs more often in women who smoke, and in general when smoking is not uncommon, the disorder of the cycle, especially after 40 years. This is why gynecologists so often ask about smoking with a complaint of patients for frequent, irregular monthly and short menstrual cycles after 40-45 years.
Three meanings of the word "menopause"
- In the clinical sense, a woman's menopause is a day after the end of the last menstrual period. This date is set in hindsight, after 12 months without the onset of the next menstruation. Only after such a period a woman is considered barren.
- In the everyday language, menopause is often referred to several years before and after the very date of menopause, that is all this transition period, menopause. Recently, the word "perimenopause" - "perimenopause" has been used.
- In the third sense, menopause is often understood as the age after the onset of menopause.
These three values should be distinguished so that there is no confusion in discussing such an important topic as women's health.
How do you know if it's a menopause or a pregnancy?
Menstrual irregularities with symptom on symptom may resemble pregnancy: the same incomprehensible secretions, daub, which is either considered monthly, or not. The woman is at a loss. It is not uncommon for the emergence of "after-deaths" - children who have emerged from pregnancy, which the mother took for menopausal manifestations.
Knowledge of other symptoms of approaching fading can help here:
- Sharp thermal hot flashes and strokes
- Prolonged or regular headaches
- Ample night sweats( wet laundry)
- Permanent feeling of fatigue
- Irritability and deconcentration
- Memory loss, down to forgetting words and expressions
- Decreaselibido
- Sleep rhythm disorder
- Mood swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Painful sexual intercourse( dyspareunia)
- Inflammations of the vagina and frequentlycystitis
- Vaginal muscle weakness and urinary incontinence
- Itching and burning in the vagina
- Watery discharge or - again - incomprehensible bleeding.
- Soreness of joints and bones
- Osteoporosis - loss of bone mass, thinning of bones
- Back pain
- Thinning of the skin and its dryness, inelasticity
- Finally, depression is almost an inevitable companion of menopause.
Do I have to worry about a breakdown after 40?
No. But it's worth to go to the gynecologist. Although fading and normal condition, its manifestations can be mitigated or even kupirovat and live a pleasant, healthy life, without hot heat strokes, pains and depressions. There is a modern hormonal treatment, almost not carrying the risk of side disorders. There are non-pharmacological methods of mitigating manifestations of menopause.
The methods of research that a gynecologist can offer are:
- Palpation and examination with the help of
- tools UZI of the genitourinary system
- Cytology and morphology, allowing to assess the condition of the lining of the uterus( endometrium).
Possible causes of irregular bleeding during fading:
- Vulnerability of the uterine mucosa. Estrogen in the body is small, the endometrium is thinned and becomes very sensitive and vulnerable. Vessels under the mucous membrane of the uterus become brittle, brittle, and easily burst. From here, even very can arise profuse bleeding.
- The cause of mild bleeding may be inflammation of the vagina. The vagina during this period is dry, often burning, itching. Vaginal damages may occur during sexual intercourse.
- Bleeding also occurs with the loss of the cervix or vagina.
- Polyps of the cervix.
- Myoma of the uterus.
- Improper hygiene. Sometimes, using too hard toilet paper, damage the urinary canaliculus. There is a habitual irritation and a bleeding at an emiction. Doctors often recommend using vaginal moisturizers - do not neglect this simple and practical advice.
- Cancer. Yes, it's time to tell the truth: menstruation with menopause, menopause can be a symptom of endometrial cancer or cervix.
Obesity is especially dangerous at this age. The more fat in the body, the more estrogen enters the circulatory system, and this significantly increases the risk of hormone-dependent uterine cancer. Cancer of the endometrium or cervix is the most frequent form of malignant tumors in women during menopause. Painless bleeding is one of his early symptoms. More often it affects women with excess weight, people with diabetes, with high blood pressure.
Abundant and prolonged bleeding with menopause
Women often hope to "go over" copious and long uterine ones with menopause - "this is our share", "it will pass by itself".Meanwhile, excessive blood loss can seriously and irreversibly undermine health. Postponing the visit to the doctor, you can wait for the deterioration, which will require inpatient treatment.
The causes of this abnormal uterine bleeding can be as follows:
- pathology of the reproductive system - the uterus, endometrium, vagina, ovaries
- hormonal imbalance
- a side effect of taking "heavy" medications
- other pathologies of the body - cirrhosis, bleeding disorders, etc.
Alarm markers:
- blood flow intensity( gasket must be changed every hour and a half)
- blood clots and flakes of epithelium
- blood after sex
- bleeding between menstruations
- short cycle( less than 21 days)
- menstruation longer than a week
- no monthly three months
- with a pallor of the skin, weakness, loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting.
Dear women, go to the doctor. But to get to it, you can first reduce the bleeding. How?
- drink the infusion of nettle( about 100 ml 3 times a day)
- an ice pack wrapped in tissue can be applied to the bottom of the stomach for 10-15 minutes with a break for 4-5 minutes. These manipulations should not last more than 1-2 hours.
- Lie down and lift your feet up
- drink plenty. With the blood goes the water, and it's dangerous. Sweet tea or briar infusion - that's the best choice.