The Lifeline Hospital’s Menopause Clinic specializes in treating severe menopause symptoms and menopause complicated by other medical conditions. Some people in their postmenopause stage have an increased risk for osteoporosis (a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle) heart diseases like coronary artery disease, urinary incontinence, and weight gain. Proper medication and lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of these conditions to a significant level.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is a stage in a woman’s life when her body stops the monthly menstrual cycle. It’s a natural process that comes as a part of aging where the body shutdowns the reproductive system and ends fertility. Menopause normally occurs in a period of your late 40s to early 50s. Menopause as per medical definition is a complete year without menstrual bleeding, in absence of any medical condition or surgical procedures that may cause bleeding to artificially stop, or surgical removal of the ovaries.
When you approach your menopause year, your ovaries make less estrogen hormone. Decreasing estrogen levels triggers a change in the menstrual cycle (period), which becomes irregular and then comes to a stop. The symptoms you experience during each stage of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are all body’s adjustment to these changes. The perimenopause (before menopause) stage can last eight to 10 years. The postmenopausal stage will last until the end of your life.
What is Premature Menopause?
For some people, menopause can come at an earlier stage of their life, rather than the end of their 40s. Damage inflicted to ovaries due to chemotherapy, or removal of ovaries due to surgical intervention causes induced menopause. Menopause that occurs at 40 or younger is considered premature menopause. When premature menopause occurs without any medical or surgical cause it’s called primary ovarian insufficiency.
Common Symptoms Associated with Menopause
The symptoms are triggered when menopause hits the hormonal levels.
Hot flashes
Vaginal dryness
Night sweats
Muscle and joint pain
Fatigue
Changes in sleep patterns,
Headaches
Depression
Mood swings, or Anxiety
Not everyone entering the menopause stage get these symptoms. But if you are affected by elevated heart rate, urinary changes, headaches, or any other medical problems we recommend undergoing a proper check-up for an effective early diagnosis and treatment procedure.