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Menopause - What You Need to Know About The Big “M”
Menopause, mention it and most people act as if you just said a bad word. My mother didn’t experience menopause until she was well into her 50s, while some women can actually start in their 30s. For those of us who haven’t gone through “the change,” The following are just a few facts about the mysterious “M.” The word menopause means the pausing or cessation of the menses or female menstrual cycle. Which can be a blessing to most of us; however the ending of the menstrual cycle also means the end of your fertility cycle, and the ability to have children. This disruption also causes fluctuations in our hormones. This is usually when the dreaded “hot flashes” start. Menopause usually occurs after the age of 40 which is considered normal. However, if it occurs earlier it’s considered premature menopause and can be caused by several things. Some causes include chromosome defects such as Turner’s syndrome, a family history of premature menopause, autoimmune diseases like thyroid disease or rheumatoid arthritis, the surgical removal of the ovaries, chemotherapy or pelvic radiation treatments. But before there is menopause there is perimenopause, which is the transition stage that actually starts several years prior. During perimenopause our ovaries begin to produce less estrogen. This stage lasts until the ovaries stop releasing eggs. It usually ends one year after your last period. (the official start of menopause) The duration of perimenopause varies, for some women a few months, others as long as 10 years. Many anthropologists hypothesize that menopause arose through human evolution; where infertility in older women, allowed them to focus on assisting in the nurturing and protection of the existing children. Increasing the survival of future generations. Maybe so—but basically menopause happens because we run out of eggs. We actually start off with around 1-3 million eggs at birth, which we gradually lose over the course of our lives, mainly through our monthly cycle. By the time we experience menopause, we can have as few as 10,000. Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH is the substance responsible for the growth of our eggs during the first half of our cycle. As we age our remaining eggs grow resistant to FSH causing a reduction in our ovaries ability to produce estrogen. This loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the negative symptoms associated with menopause, such as mood swings, depression, anxiety and hot flashes. We also experience a loss in testosterone, the male hormone which controls our libido or sex drive, this can also lead to osteoporosis or thinning of the bones.
Most of the symptoms of menopause can be managed through healthy eating and exercise. And although they may have gotten a bad rap recently, many women still find relief through hormone therapy and other prescribed drug treatments. Some suggested over the counter remedies include, vitamin supplements like St. John's Wort, ibuprofen and soy protein based products. Now that you know the facts, know that menopause isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning. Research for this article was obtained at WebMD and is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor or health care professional if you have any specific questions or concerns.
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Now you’re wondering how or why does this happen? Well menopause is not a condition or an affliction; it’s just a normal part of the aging process.
