The first symptoms of menopause
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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The first symptoms of menopause in women appear over the age of 50, then it is considered a normal age period for the onset of involution of the reproductive system. Often the appearance of menopause is identified in women with aging, which negatively affects their psychological state and worsens the clinical course. This issue should be treated easier, as a mandatory physiological period of life. After all, you must grow old too. Often the symptoms of menopause are expressed significantly and strongly affect the daily activity of a woman. To correct the condition and maintain the normal functioning of the body, it is necessary to know the characteristics of changes in the female body during this period.
The first symptoms of menopause are often nonspecific, and can be manifested by vegetative and emotional changes.
The entire period of menopause is conditionally divided into premenopausal, menopause and postmenopause.
The first clinical manifestations occur at the age of about forty-five years, that is, in the period of premenopause. Then the level of hormones gradually decreases and the woman feels "hot flashes". This concept is quite broad and includes a feeling of heat, sweating, palpitations or heartbeats. There may also be vegetative symptoms when irritating the parasympathetic nervous system in the form of nausea, vomiting, headache. The processes of emotional instability are often expressed, which is due to a disturbance in the regulation of the processes of excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system. This is manifested by increased lability of the psyche, irritability, depression, sleep disturbance in the form of drowsiness or insomnia. Significantly reduced performance and endurance, increased fatigue, decreased libido. These symptoms at first glance do not seem serious, but they may indicate the onset of menopause, and therefore require attention. This may be the first sign of the onset of menopause, while menstruation is still normal with a normal cycle. Already at that time it is desirable to consult a doctor, because specific hormone replacement therapy can eliminate symptoms and delay the onset of menopause.
Sometimes the first symptoms in the form of emotional-vegetative manifestations are absent or expressed only slightly and the woman simply does not pay attention to her condition. Then the first symptoms can be in the form of high blood pressure and headaches, which is more often observed in women predisposed to this, that is, suffering from previous arterial hypertension. In this case all symptoms are amplified and complex therapy is needed.
Sometimes vegetative manifestations are not expressed, and menopause appears for the first time immediately after the cycle has been disturbed. These features depend on the individuality of the female body and are difficult to predict. Menstruation becomes irregular: usually one month is normal, and two or three months are absent. These are typical signs of the onset of menopause. But there may be other options: profuse menstruation once, then there are no six months or scant excretions every month with a gradual decrease in their number. These features are individual, but you should pay attention if suddenly a woman in postmenopause, two or three years after the last cycle, there were discharges by the type of menstruation - this can be a sign of malignant education.
Often women complain of pain in the legs or muscle cramps - this is also a symptom of menopause. After all, this condition arises from the violation of mineral metabolism when there is a shortage of estrogens, which normally provide the mineralization of bones. As soon as the level of estrogen decreases with menopause - calcium begins to be excreted from the bones and this contributes to the development of osteoporosis. To correct this condition, it is necessary to take not only calcium preparations, but also compensate to some extent the deficiency of estrogens for slowing the process of osteoporosis.
Symptoms of menopause can manifest themselves from the cardiovascular system, in the form of high blood pressure, angina pectoris and coronary heart disease. The latter pathology arises from the fact that with a deficiency of estrogen metabolism is disrupted and the level of lipids and atherogenic lipoproteins is increased - and this contributes to the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels with the development of ischemia of the organs, the heart in the first place. Therefore, the appearance of symptoms from the cardiovascular side indicates the need for comprehensive therapy.
The first symptoms of menopause can often have a nonspecific character and are expressed in every woman individually. In any case, it is necessary to remember the age-related changes in the reproductive system and to timely diagnose the initial manifestations of the symptomatology. This condition can be corrected by the drug intake of hormonal drugs.