Menopause
is a process, not a disease. Here's how to
cope with its
symptoms and get on with your life.
Okay,
so you don't want to hear about it. You don't even want to think
about it. You figure you're too young for menopause. And besides, you've heard
about its discomfort - hot flashes, mood swings and vaginal dryness, to
name a few.
But
menopause doesn't have to be terrible. In fact, when women share their experiences
they often find that it doesn't have to be the beginning of odd age.
Instead, menopause can mark the start of a new phase in life, one that
is vital, productive and fulfilling.
What
to Expect from the Change
An
estimated 40 to 50 million women more than ever before will enter menopause
in the next two decades. Most American women hit menopause around age
51. Some women go through earlier, and an estimated 1 percent do so
before age 40.
Menopause
begins after a woman's last period. A women is considered to be in
menopause after she hasn't menstruated for a full year. But before
that happens, women go through a phase known as the climacteric, or per menopause.
At this time, the ovaries get smaller and produce less estrogen. This
drop is what causes the hot flashes, night sweets, vaginal dryness, skin
changes, sleep difficulties, mood swings, depression and weight gain experienced
by some women. The drop in estrogen often alters a woman's period, which may become heavier or lighter, longer or shorter or
irregular . And symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can worsen.
Menopause can bring physical and emotional changes . Because hormonal
shifts, women sometimes can feel out of control." It can be a real
up-and-down time, says Joan Burton, a licensed mental health counselor
in Rockport, Massachusetts, who runs workshops for menopausal women and
is the author of Drawing from the women well : Reflections on the Life
Passage of Menopause. " That is very disconcerting for women,
particularly those who have been able to feel like they are on top of
things"
But
the changes women fear do not always occur, experts say. Studies
indicate that between 16 and 38 percent of menopausal women are symptom
free no hot flashes, no dryness, no nothing.
And
even if women do have symptoms, they don't happen overnight, and they
don't turn women into wrinkled old ladies. On the contrary, women often
feel sexy, productive, bright and relieved that they no longer need to
worry about getting pregnant, says Ellen Klutz nick, Psy.D. A psychotherapist
in San Francisco who counsels menopausal women.
And
some women truly branch out. during menopause many women evaluate what
they have done , what they are doing and where they are going says Burton.
"There is a sense of excitement among many women at this time, as
well as a real sense of urgency" she says. Women commonly tell her,
" For this last third of my life I want to give my energy to things
that are real core concerns to me. I'm not going to give my energy to
peripheral stuff anymore."
The
Role of HRT ( Hormone
Replacement Therapy)
But
even if a woman approaches menopause with positive feelings, there are
changes going on inside her body that put her at risk for certain
diseases. When estrogen drops, for instance, a woman's risk of heart
disease increases: Estrogen exerts a protective effect on the heart by
keeping levels of " good" cholesterol, or low density
lipoprotein (LDL), low.
Declining
levels of estrogen also place women at increased risk for osteoporosis.
This is because estrogen plays a key role in stimulating bone growth and
promoting the absorption of calcium. When estrogen levels drop, these effects
do too. These disease risks and the physical changes that some women go through
are why some women consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT)-- therapy
designed to replenish a woman's diminishing hormones.
While
there are different types of HRT, most doctor recommend ones that
include estrogen and synthetic form of progesterone called protesting.
Estrogen is used for its beneficial effect on the heart and bones, among
other things . But when given alone , estrogen can stimulate
cancer
growth in the uterus and breast. Progestin cuts that risk.
Whether
to take HRT is one of the biggest questions women confront about
menopause says Borton. It is a difficult personal decision , she
says, because there are pros and cons.
Among
the benefits of HRT is relief from hot flashes and vaginal dryness-- the
two symptoms that drive most women to ask about the therapy, says Brian
Walsh. M.D., director of the Menopause Clinic at Brigham and Woman's
Hospital in Boston.
From
a health standpoint, a big plus for HRT is the protection from heart
disease it provides, experts say. In studies of women who took
just estrogen, doctors found that it appeared to lower women's risk of
heart disease by 50 percent compared to women who didn't take it.
Thorough studies on HRT which provides both estrogen and protesting have
yet to be done, but initial research shows that HRT may also offer
substantial protection against heart disease,.
Hormone
replacement Therapy can also prevent women from developing osteoporosis.
Research suggests that women who take HRT reduce their risk of
osteoporosis related fractures by 50 percent, and women who have the
disease may be able to increase their bone density by 5 percent through
HRT.
