Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Emma on January 15, 2018, 05:34:39 PM
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MENOPAUSE
The term "Menopause" means the last period. The average age of periods stopping is 51 years of age in the UK.
Periods stop naturally because ovaries run out of egg cells. The ovaries are then unable to produce the usual cycle of fluctuating levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone which are dependent on the cyclical development and release of eggs. With resultant low hormone levels, the womb lining is not stimulated to be thickened and then shed as in the normal cycle, and so periods stop.
Consequences of the menopause are due to estrogen deficiency and can be divided into early (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/symptoms.php), intermediate (vaginal (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/vaginalsymptoms.php)and bladder (http://www.bladdermatters.co.uk/)) and late (bone (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/osteoporosis.php)and heart health (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/cvd.php))
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PREMATURE MENOPAUSE
Menopause can occur early and affects 1% of women under the age of 40, and 0.1% of women under the age of 30. Menopause under the age of 45 is known as early menopause and under the age of 40 as Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/prematuremenopause.php).
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MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS
Menopausal symptoms (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/symptoms.php) are not just about flushes and sweats. Many women experience mood changes such as low mood, mood swings, tearfullness and anxiety. Talk about it, explain how you are feeling so that your family, friends and work colleagues understand.
You can experience Menopausal symptoms (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/symptoms.php) even if you are still having periods. The phase known as perimenopause is when hormonal levels fluctuate and can trigger a range of symptoms. See: perils of the perimenopause (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/articles-mainly.php#perils)
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CONTRACEPTION
Contraception (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra1.php) is still needed even after your periods stop; for another two years if periods stop under age 50, and for a further year if they stop after age 50.
No woman needs Contraception (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra1.php) after the age of 55. Even if still having periods then and so still having some ovarian function, it is believed that the egg quality will be very poor so that pregnancy is extremely unlikely to occur.
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MENOPAUSE DIAGNOSIS
Blood tests are not required, and indeed are not recommended, to diagnose perimenopause or menopause in women aged over 45 and are rarely useful in women aged 40 to 45, though can be considered in this age group. Diagnosis (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diagnose.php)should be made by history of symptoms and period pattern
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HRT
Bioidentical hormone therapy from compounding pharmacies is not regulated or government approved. If hormone therapy is required, government approved preparations prescribed on NHS should be used. See Types of HRT (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatment.php") and decision tree (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/tree.php).
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BLADDER MATTERS
Bladder function and risk of urine infections can be affected by menopausal estrogen deficiency. Symptoms are common and can respond to bladder training and vaginal estrogen treatment. See our bladder matters website (https://www.bladdermatters.co.uk).
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PROLAPSE
Symptoms of prolapse (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/prolapse.php)are common in the postmenopause. Symptoms can be helped by carrying out pelvic floor exercises and maintaining healthy weight.
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VAGINAL DRYNESS
Menopause can be associated with reduced interest in sex, which can be due to vaginal dryness (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/dryness.php) and discomfort. Many women find it difficult to discuss this and might even hide the problem from their partner, making excuses not to have sex. Effective treatments are available.
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VAGINAL DRYNESS AND DISCOMFORT
Many women still suffer from menopausal vaginal dryness and discomfort, often not realising that it is due to estrogen deficiency. Dryness and irritation can lead to pain during sex, but also during sitting and cycling. Self esteem, confidence and relationships can all be affected.
See the movie to help with understanding (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/drynessmovie.php).
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A to Z of MENOPAUSE and MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Many women with medical conditions are unsure as to whether or not the condition will be affected by the hormone changes of the menopause, and whether or not they can take HRT.
See our A to Z of Menopause and Medical Conditions. (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/atoz.php)
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HRT and "BIOIDENTICAL" HORMONE THERAPY
When considering treatments for menopausal symptoms, many women express concern and confusion around which hormone therapy is safe, and what is the differece between HRT prescribed from a GP, and "bioidentical" hormone therapy. See our previous magazine article (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pdf/article%20Bio%20identicals%202017.pdf) to understand the differences.
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OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis is still a huge problem for menopausal women, especially if menopause is premature or early. Learn more about osteoporosis, risk factors, diagnosis and treatments on our osteoporosis page (https://menopausematters.co.uk/osteoporosis.php).
See a feature on preventing the first fracture (https://menopausematters.co.uk/issue53/#p=8) in Autumn issue of Menopause Matters
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INSOMNIA
Many women experience sleep disturbance associated with the menopause, which can have a significant effect on mood, energy, functioning and coping. See practical tips on managing sleep disturbance (https://menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/pdf/Article%20-%20Tips%20for%20Improving%20Sleep%20Long%20Term.pdf)
and the full article in our latest magazine (https://menopausematters.co.uk/issue53/#p=18).
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HEART DISEASE
We all need to be more aware of the impact of menopause on our risk of heart disease (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/cvd.php), especially if we experience menopause under the age of 45. Diet and lifestyle changes can reduce our risk and there is never a better time than menopause to make some changes.
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Duration of HRT
How long can HRT be taken?
Women have often been advised to stop HRT since it has been taken "too long". In fact the duration of HRT (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/duration-of-hrt.php) is up to each woman to make an informed choice.
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DISTURBED SLEEP
Disturbed sleep is a common and often distressing menopausal problem, yet often not recognised nor appropriately treated. For more information, see our magazine article on disturbed sleep (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/pdf/Article%20-%20Tips%20for%20Improving%20Sleep%20Long%20Term.pdf) (PDF)
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MENOPAUSAL MEN!
Early results of our online survey suggest that many men are lacking in knowledge about the menopause and do not know how to help. If you have a male partner please direct him to our Man Shed (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/manshed.php)
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VAGINAL DRYNESS AND DISCOMFORT
Many women continue to suffer from menopausal vaginal dryness and discomfort but can find it embarrassing to talk about. This checklist pdf (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pdf/VAchecklist.pdf), may be helpful to show to your doctor or nurse.
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Unfortunately, all these links have now expired.
Waking up to menopause with the BBC
If you missed it... the programme that is, not the menopause, check out some key clips here: Dr Brianna Cloke talks discovering menopause, early menopause and treatment (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079d0t2)Louise Minchin shares her personal menopause journey (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079jdfl)BBC Presenters talk about the stereotypes and open up on how they see the menopause (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079jb6d)Health tips (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0794y0s)Looking after your bones (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079h166)Pelvic floor - how to squeeze and lift (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079j4b0)Can testosterone help? (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079gz6q)In the workplace (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0797vds)Hitting the menopause, age 15 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p079j9jj)Helping women in Scotland (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0794ksh)
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HRT: TO BLEED OR NOT TO BLEED
Taking HRT does not always mean a return of periods. While HRT mimics the period cycle in the perimenopause (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php), once periods have stopped it can be taken in a form that does not recreate the monthly cycle. See Postmenopause (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php)
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Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Many women develop prolapse where the vagina and/or pelvic organs drag down to varying degrees. Pelvic floor exercises are important for all of us, especially during and after menopause when low estrogen can affect pelvic floor strength. See more at Pelvic Organ Prolapse (http://prolapse.php) and exercise more!
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Menopause and Hysterectomy
After a hysterectomy it can be confusing to know when you will become menopausal since there will be no periods to go by. Some women experience early menopause after hysterectomy. See more at Menopause and HRT after Hysterectomy (https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/aftermeno.php)