Menopause is defined as the state of an absence of menstrual
periods for 12 months. The menopausal transition starts with
varying menstrual cycle length and ends with the final menstrual
period. Perimenopause means "the time around menopause" and is
often used to refer to the menopausal transitional period. It is
not officially a medical term, but is sometimes used to explain
certain aspects of the menopause transition in lay terms.
Postmenopause is the entire period of time that comes after the
last menstrual period.
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the function of the
ovaries ceases. The ovary (female gonad), is one of a pair of
reproductive glands in women. They are located in the pelvis, one
on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape
of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs (ova) and female hormones
such as estrogen. During each monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is
released from one ovary. The egg travels from the ovary through a
Fallopian tube to the uterus.
The ovaries are the main source of female hormones, which control
the development of female body characteristics such as the
breasts, body shape, and body hair. The hormones also regulate the
menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Estrogens also protect the bone.
Therefore, a woman can develop osteoporosis (thinning of bone)
later in life when her ovaries do not produce adequate estrogen.
Perimenopause is different for each woman. Scientists are still
trying to identify all the factors that initiate and influence
this transition period.
What are the treatment options for
menopause?
Menopause itself is a normal part of life and not a disease that
requires treatment. However, treatment of associated symptoms is
possible if these become substantial or severe.
Hormone therapy Estrogen and progesterone therapy
Hormone therapy (HT) , also referred to as hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) or postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT), consists of
estrogens or a combination of estrogens and progesterone
(progestin). Hormone therapy has been used to control the symptoms
of menopause related to declining estrogen levels such as hot
flashes and vaginal dryness, and HT is still the most effective
way to treat these symptoms. But long-term studies (the NIH-sponsored
Women's Health Initiative, or WHI) of women receiving combined
hormone therapy with both estrogen and progesterone were halted
when it was discovered that these women had an increased risk for
heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer when compared with women
who did not receive HT. Later studies of women taking estrogen
therapy alone showed that estrogen was associated with an
increased risk for stroke, but not for heart attack or breast
cancer. Estrogen therapy alone, however, is associated with an
increased risk of developing endometrial cancer (cancer of the
lining of the uterus) in postmenopausal women who have not had
their uterus surgically removed.
Hormone therapy is available in oral (pill), transdermal form
(patch and spray). Transdermal hormone products are already in
their active form without the need for "first pass" metabolism in
the liver to be converted to an active form. Since transdermal
hormone products do not have effects on the liver, this route of
administration has become the preferred form for most women. A
number of preparations are available for oral and transdermal
forms of HT, varying in the both type and amount of hormones in
the products.
There has been increasing interest in recent years in the use of
so-called "bioidentical" hormone therapy for perimenopausal women.
Bioidentical hormone preparations are medications that contain
hormones that have the same chemical formula as those made
naturally in the body. The hormones are created in a laboratory by
altering compounds derived from naturally-occurring plant
products. Some of these so-called bioidentical hormone
preparations are U.S. FDA-approved and manufactured by drug
companies, while others are made at special pharmacies called
compounding pharmacies that make the preparations on a
case-by-case basis for each patient. These individual preparations
are not regulated by the FDA, because compounded products are not
standardized.
Like transdermal HT products, bioidentical hormone therapy
products are administered transdermally. They are typically
applied as cream or gels. Their advocates believe that their use
may avoid potentially dangerous side effects of synthetic hormones
used in conventional hormone therapy. However, studies to
establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of these products
have not been carried out.
The decision about hormone therapy, is a very individual decision
in which the patient and doctor must take into account the
inherent risks and benefits of the treatment along with each
woman's own medical history. It is currently recommended that if
hormone therapy is used, it should be used at the smallest
effective dose for the shortest possible time. The WHI study
findings do not support the use of HT for the prevention of
chronic disease
Oral contraceptive pills
Oral contraceptive pills are another form of hormone therapy often
prescribed for women in perimenopause to treat irregular vaginal
bleeding.
Prior to treatment, a doctor must exclude other causes of erratic
vaginal bleeding. Women in the menopausal transition tend to have
considerable breakthrough bleeding when given estrogen therapy.
Therefore, oral contraceptives are often given to women in the
menopause transition to regulate menstrual periods, relieve hot
flashes, as well as to provide contraception. The list of
contraindications for oral contraceptives in women going through
the menopause transition is the same as that for premenopausal
women.
Growing Stronger, Growing
Better
Global Health
Healthcare Provider
Menopause - treatment of Menopause, Menopause types, Disease medicines,
Menopause symptoms, Menopause and Disease symptoms, Menopause symptoms
Disease and diagnosis, Symptoms and Solutions, Signs and Symptoms, type of
Menopause, cause common, common Menopause, Menopause List, causes list,
Infectious Menopause, Causes, Diseases , Types, Prevention, Treatment and
Facts, Menopause information, Menopause: Definition, Menopause names,
medical Menopause, medical Menopause and disorders, cell Menopause,
Menopause Worldwide, Menopause Research, Menopause Control, Menopause
Center, Digestive Menopause Week, Information about Menopause, causes of
different Menopause, Menopause Articles, Menopause and conditions, Health
and Menopause, Menopause Patients, Menopause and Sciences, causes of
alzheimer's Menopause, Menopause causes, alternative medicine heart
Menopause, body ailments, Menopause medicines, medical antiques, type of
blood Menopause