Almost every second woman during menopause is accompanied by menopausal syndrome. At this stage, the size of the female genital organs decreases, menstruation disappears, and reproductive function fades. These age-related changes cause a number of other somatic, neurovegetative and psychoneurotic symptoms. In some cases, the manifestations significantly worsen the quality of life of a woman. This requires a course of therapy.
The essence of menopausal syndrome
A complex of manifestations occurs as a result of a decrease in the level of female sex hormones caused by age-related changes. This is a complicated natural condition, more precisely, one of the stages in a woman's life. The duration of menopause in active manifestation can be from one and a half to ten years. As a rule, all symptoms are felt by a woman about twofive years. The severity and duration of the climacteric syndrome depend on the individual characteristics of the organism and the state of he alth of the woman.
Menopause, that is, the cessation of menstruation, overtakes absolutely all women. But the climacteric syndrome is not for everyone. It is more likely to be faced by the fair sex, whose mothers also had a hard time withering, women with hereditary diseases, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels. The occurrence and nature of the course of the syndrome is influenced by the presence of certain gynecological diseases, psycho-emotional factors. Often the onset of active manifestations of menopause provokes severe stress. There is also a seasonality and undulation of menopausal syndrome in women - the peak of its manifestations falls on the off-season.
Age of onset of menopause in women
The etiology of the climacteric syndrome consists in the gradual subsidence of reproductive functions and the irreversible regression of the genital organs, a decrease in the amount of estrogen. The time of onset of menopause has no connection with the age of the first menstruation, the first sex, the number of pregnancies, children, sexual partners. Doctors cannot unambiguously name the exact age of onset of menopause symptoms, it is individual, but usually this period begins at 45-50 years.
Some women practically do not notice the age-related restructuring of the body, others experience this process very difficult and painful. The age at which the reproductive function of the female body will fade,highly dependent on hereditary factors. If a woman wants to know the approximate age of onset of menopause symptoms, it is worth asking her own mother about it. Perhaps this will to some extent facilitate the psychological moment of transition to a new phase of life.
Recently, there has been a tendency for women to menopause at 40 and earlier. We will talk about premature menopausal syndrome in more detail in the appropriate section. Now it’s worth saying that women are at risk:
- who do not have a regular sex life;
- alcohol abusers;
- having bad habits such as smoking;
- having extra pounds;
- passed through many abortions during their lives;
- living in a state of constant stress;
- cancer sufferers;
- previously or currently suffering from gynecological pathologies;
- addicted to therapeutic fasting;
- those who do not observe the regime of work and rest;
- having diseases of the endocrine system;
- suffering from autoimmune diseases.
In order to “push back” the menopause somewhat to normal physiological terms, modern medicine offers drug correction, a rational diet, physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises and the use of folk remedies.
Periods of hormonal adjustment
Climacteric syndrome in women is a complication of the natural process of withering reproductive functions. Thisthe process takes place in several successive stages:
- Pre-menopause lasts up to six years. At this time, the hormones that stimulate the maturation of the follicles become weaker, there are violations of the menstrual cycle, the volume of secretions decreases, the cycle becomes shorter. Pathological conditions during this period are associated with an increase in estrogen production.
- Actually menopause. It is characterized by the cessation of menstruation. This is the shortest stage of the entire restructuring of the body.
- Postmenopause. Hormonal changes are completed, estrogen levels fall, pubic hair begins to fall out, vaginal tone decreases, the amount of mucus secreted by the cervical canal decreases, the uterus becomes smaller, the glandular tissue of the female breast is replaced by fibrous and fatty. This period lasts from one to two years. If there are no pathologies, then the woman experiences postmenopause relatively calmly.
Manifestations of menopause in women
How does menopausal syndrome manifest itself? The complex of symptoms includes a number of unpleasant manifestations. They can have different intensity and occur in different combinations, cause serious inconvenience to a woman. Physicians divide all manifestations of menopause into three main groups: neurovegetative, somatic and psychoneurotic.
Neurovegetative symptoms
Among the neurovegetative symptoms are the most common (occur in almost 98% of women) hot flashes to the head, face, upper body. Durationsuch tides can last from a few seconds to one or two minutes, they occur at any time of the day. This is accompanied by excessive sweating, which is included in 80% of cases. Also characteristic are tingling in the fingertips, tachycardia, a feeling of coldness, and possibly numbness.
Common autonomic disorders also include spots on the chest, neck, severe migraine attacks, blood pressure drops, hypertensive crises. There may be pain in the heart, chills and nausea, dizziness, bouts of palpitations. Women often complain of numbness of the limbs, drowsiness or irritability, dry skin, swelling and periodic panic attacks.
Neurovegetative disorders often cause CNS sensitivity. This leads to pain in various parts of the body, symptoms from the central nervous system and other systems.
Psycho-neurotic manifestations
Clinical recommendations for menopausal syndrome include relief of psychoneurotic symptoms. They are manifested in a decrease in attention and memory, increased irritability, decreased performance, fatigue, mental instability. Almost 13% of patients complain of a feeling of fear and anxiety, causeless irritability, intolerance to certain sounds or smells, tearfulness.
At this time, the perception of the withering process has a very great influence on the state of a woman. Many perceive the onset of menopause as a tragedy, the final loss of youth and the advent of old age. Eachthe tenth woman is diagnosed with depression, provoked by precisely these nervous experiences. Menopausal depression is considered one of the most severe and difficult-to-treat neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Somatic signs of menopause
Somatic symptoms may be due to either general changes associated with age or an increased response of the body to a decrease in hormone levels. There may be dystrophic changes in the vagina, thickening and inflammation of the walls, bleeding, involuntary or painful urination, itching. Often there is a prolapse or prolapse of the vagina. Not only the reproductive system, but also the urinary system, the condition of the skin, nails and hair, and the mammary glands depend on the level of hormones. The elasticity of the skin decreases, it becomes thinner, which leads to wrinkles.
Almost half of women gain weight during menopause. Also, calcium is washed out of the bones, which can provoke fractures, the synthesis of vitamin D decreases, and the processes of bone destruction begin. This can cause the development of osteoporosis, damage to the spine, pain in the limbs at night. Thyroid disorders may occur.
Degrees of severity of negative manifestations
The severity of menopausal syndrome are as follows:
- Slight form of flow. It occurs in approximately one in five women. At the same time, from seven to ten hot flashes occur per day, but the general condition does not change,symptoms do not affect performance.
- Medium form of gravity. Typical for every third woman. The number of tides - up to twenty times a day. At the same time, other symptoms of menopause appear: migraines, dizziness, sleep and memory disturbances, the state of he alth in general worsens and efficiency decreases.
- Severe flow. The complicated course of menopause is typical for every second representative of the fair sex. In this case, there is a sharp deterioration in the condition, almost complete loss of working capacity. The climacteric syndrome is especially difficult and long in women who are faced with early menopause. At the same time, disorders can lead to significant violations of psychosocial adaptation.
The syndrome is also classified according to clinical manifestations. There are also three main forms:
- Uncomplicated (typical) form. In this case, only hot flashes and increased sweating are noted. There are such signs even in he althy women who experience physical or mental overstrain. The elasticity of the skin decreases, but in general the condition is not subject to significant changes. Everything happens in full accordance with age.
- Climacteric syndrome with complications. A complicated form occurs against the background of concomitant diseases: with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the digestive tract, with thyroid dysfunction. The frequency of hot flashes in this case increases, sleep and memory disturbances, tachycardia, chest pains may also be characteristic.
- Atypical menopause. It is quite rare, mainly this form of menopause is typical for women who in the past have suffered significant mental or physical injuries, operations, serious illnesses, worked for a long time or lived under the influence of negative factors. There is a whole range of symptoms: hair loss, deterioration of the skin, age spots on the chest, itching in the genital area, frequent urination, loss of efficiency, weight gain, tearfulness, insomnia, swelling and pain in the joints. Asthma, osteochondrosis and osteoporosis, panic attacks, hypoglycemia can often develop against this background.
Treatment of climacteric syndrome
The decline of reproductive function is a physiological process. In some cases, it is accompanied by symptoms that impair a woman's quality of life. The gynecologist plays a decisive role in the treatment, in some cases it may be necessary to consult doctors of other speci alties, such as a neurologist or psychotherapist. To date, there are three main methods of therapy, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Non-drug therapy is better to start in preparation for entering a new stage of life. This helps to significantly alleviate the course of the menopausal syndrome, and in some cases even avoids its manifestations. Complexes of physiotherapy exercises are quite effective. Exercises that can be performed both at home and in a group will be recommended by a doctor. Especiallywalking is helpful.
Rational nutrition is of great importance in the treatment of menopausal syndrome. The menu should include more vegetable fats, fresh vegetables and fruits, but carbohydrate intake should be limited. It is advisable to eat more food that is rich in phytoestrogens - vegetable substitutes for female hormones. These are, for example, parsley leaves, linseed oil, soybeans. It is necessary to take vitamin complexes, vitamins C, E, A are especially important.
Drug therapy is used in the treatment of moderate and severe menopausal syndrome. To normalize the state of the central nervous system of a woman, sedative medications are prescribed, in some cases the doctor may recommend tranquilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics. Be sure to include vitamin-mineral complexes in the course of therapy.
Dispensary observation of patients with climacteric syndrome is necessarily indicated in case of severe neuropsychiatric disorders. Some women develop depression so severe that they cannot do without the intervention of a psychotherapist or treatment at a medical facility.
In the complete absence of the effect of other types of therapy, hormonal therapy is prescribed. The main goal of this type of treatment is to compensate for age-related changes that begin in the female body. Usually, the doctor chooses a specific method depending on the presence or absence of menstruation and associated symptoms. Estrogens, gestagens and their various combinations can be used. Basic rulehormone therapy - lack of initiative.
Prevention of negative symptoms
Prevention of menopausal syndrome includes:
- Keep an active lifestyle, regularly engage in feasible sports, exercise therapy.
- Normalization of weight and diet. Lifelong obesity prevention.
- Proper organization of work and rest, enough sleep, minimization of stress.
- Timely treatment of infectious diseases.
- Hormonotherapy. It is prescribed by a gynecologist for certain indications in order to prevent the deterioration of the he alth of the fair sex.
Premature menopause in women
Early menopause occurs as a result of impaired ovarian function, which is supported by biologically active substances and hormones. Not in all cases, premature menopause can be prevented, for example, hereditary causes cannot be treated. In some cases, hormone replacement therapy is used for prevention.
Climacteric manifestations in men
Doctors distinguish and male climacteric syndrome, or andronopause. This medical term is used to refer to a period of decreased production of male sex hormones. The condition can occur between the ages of forty and sixty and older, with a median age of 46-58 years. Symptoms of male menopausal syndrome include: fading of sexual desire, decreased mentalabilities, depression, spleen, hematopoietic disorders, deterioration of metabolic processes, constant urge to go to the toilet "in a small way." At the same time, reproductive abilities in men are preserved. Prostate adenoma, myocardial infarction, ischemia, angina pectoris may appear.
