Symptoms and treatment of severe menopause

Every woman, regardless of the fact that she is already over forty-five, feels full of energy, cheerful, young and beautiful during this period of time. But when the skin has become saggy, flabby, wrinkles have become more noticeable, hair has become thinner, thinner and duller, weight is rapidly increasing, even if the diet is correct, menstrual cycles have become irregular - signs of menopause.

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Causes severe menopause

Estrogens affect not only the reproductive function and mammary glands, but also almost all body systems: cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, urinary. Hormonal activity affects bone density, vascular elasticity, the condition of mucous membranes and skin. Most women experience climacteric symptoms without much difficulty (moderately expressed and do not cause discomfort).

Pathological manifestations of menopause are: pronounced climacteric syndrome and early menopause.

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Pathogenesis

For many, the climacteric period is associated with the autumn of life, withering and the road leading to old age. Translated from Greek, "climax" means a ladder or "step". This is a really difficult period in a woman's life. Many perceive the climacteric period as a personal catastrophe, the collapse of female happiness and a feeling of irreversibility of the years lived. But there are women who calmly, without unnecessary drama, perceive the coming changes, confidently look to the future and try to use the current situation for self-improvement and self-realization. Ladies who perceive menopause tragically endure it more difficult. Negativity spills out in excessive irritability, hysterics, depressed mood and depression. Those ladies who calmly relate to the new stage of life have fewer health problems.

It is impossible to say exactly when a woman will experience menopause and how it will proceed. But every lady “over forty” should be prepared for the fact that she may experience rather unpleasant signs, and sometimes symptoms of severe menopause: “hot flashes”, unreasonable irritability, insomnia, headaches, pressure surges. They are caused by hormonal changes: gradual fading of the ovaries, age-related changes in the hypothalamus centers.

Climacteric is a normal physiological condition in which the ability to bear children is lost. The ovaries produce less estrogens and gestagens, eggs are released less frequently, and menstruation gradually stops completely.

There are three phases of menopause: premenopause, menopause and postmenopause. In premenopause (38-45 years) the menstrual cycle is disrupted (the periods between periods become longer), the ovaries decrease in size, and the number of follicles in them gradually decreases, leading to the extinction of their hormonal activity. The volume of menstrual discharge decreases, ovulation gradually ceases. Psychoemotional instability (sharp mood swings, irritability, tearfulness) is very clearly manifested in this phase of menopause. The phase lasts about 4-7 years.

Physiological menopause (46-52 years) is characterized by the absence of natural menstruation for 12 months (amenorrhea) and the end of the hormonal function of the ovaries. Menopause can be premature (36-39 years), early (40-44 years) and artificial (as a result of surgical interventions - removal of the uterus or ovaries). In case of surgical menopause, drug correction of hormonal levels is necessary.

Postmenopause follows menopause and lasts until the very last days of a woman's life.

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Symptoms severe menopause

Climacteric syndrome is a pronounced symptom of menopause of moderate to severe severity that interferes with a woman’s normal life.

Gynecologists identify the following symptoms of severe menopause:

• excessively strong hot flashes;
• chills;
• severe headaches;
• excessive sweating;
• nervousness;
• forgetfulness;
• absent-mindedness;
• drowsiness or insomnia;
• weakness;
• depression.

Sometimes these symptoms are so pronounced that they interfere with normal work activities, lead to a significant deterioration in general health and require medical attention.

One of the varieties of pathological menopause is early menopause, which occurs at the age of 35-40 years. The main symptom is an extension of the menstrual cycle. Delays occur first for a week, and then longer. The intervals can last up to several months.

Along with menstrual cycle disorders, women note severe symptoms of menopause. The most common are: hot flashes, excessive sweating, sudden mood swings, decreased ability to work, insomnia or drowsiness. Common complaints from the genitourinary system include vaginal dryness, problems in sexual life, partial urinary incontinence when sneezing and coughing. Later, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and problems with the nervous system begin. Women with pathological premature menopause experience early aging of the skin, the appearance of deep expression wrinkles on the face, pigmentation, loss of elasticity and changes in the shape of the breasts, accumulation of excess cellulite deposits on the buttocks, thighs and abdomen. Sensitivity to insulin decreases, which is fraught with the development of type II diabetes.

Diagnostics severe menopause

Determining the hormonal balance will reveal the cause of the change in the length of the cycle. Additional examinations may be prescribed. Early amenorrhea may be a sign of premature ovarian failure, in which case the egg reserves are not completely depleted. To determine the cause of early menopause, it is necessary to determine the levels of FSH and LH. Early onset of menopause may be associated with surgical intervention (removal of the ovaries or chemotherapy). Premature onset of menopause and severe symptoms may be caused by genetically determined heredity or Turner syndrome, and abnormal acceleration of girls is also not the least of the causes.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound, cytological examination, mammography, etc.

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Treatment severe menopause

The complex of treatment measures is based on the study of the woman's hormonal background and the appointment of hormone replacement therapy. Do not self-medicate and be embarrassed, you must immediately contact a specialist to prescribe an individual hormonal correction plan. Problems associated with severe manifestations of menopause are dealt with by gynecologists-endocrinologists.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs are prescribed – analogues of sex hormones – estrogens and progestogens. The drugs quickly relieve most of the symptoms of severe menopause.

There are many myths associated with taking hormonal drugs. If for some reason a woman refuses to take them, a specialist can offer her other treatment methods. These include: taking phytohormones, homeopathy, non-hormonal drug therapy, doing sports, proper nutrition, taking antioxidants, vitamins and biologically active additives. But in each individual case, the doctor chooses the therapy tactics. A combination of hormonal and non-hormonal drugs can be used. A combination of two or three different types of treatment is often enough. But all drugs are selected individually.

Treatment with herbal preparations

Non-hormonal drugs are prescribed in the presence of contraindications to HRT or the woman's refusal of it. Non-hormonal herbal preparations for severe symptoms of menopause allow the body to cope much more easily with the adaptation period that occurs due to the reduction or completion of ovarian function.

Cimicifuga has long been known for its hormone-replacing properties. The plant has an estrogen-like effect, selectively acting on the anterior pituitary gland. It is prescribed for dysmenorrhea, to restore the regularity of the menstrual cycle. If the patient's complaints concern the manifestation of varying degrees of mastopathy, the doctor can also prescribe a drug containing cimicifugia (climadinone).

A contraindication to the use of medicines containing black cohosh is individual intolerance to the components.

The drug Mastodinon is used to treat menstrual irregularities, mastopathy and relieve severe symptoms of menopause. It contains cyclamen, igantia, daring pepper, tiger lily, variegated iris, stem leaf, etc.

Mastodinone helps to normalize the level of gonadotropic hormones, stabilizes the balance of estrogens and progesterone. Allergic reactions are rare when using Mastodinone. The drug is contraindicated in malignant neoplasms of the mammary glands, during pregnancy and lactation.

For the treatment of psycho-emotional disorders with severe symptoms of menopause, infusions, tinctures, and decoctions of the roots of odolan, hawthorn, and sage are prescribed.

Various herbal infusions are used, which include: elder flowers, chanus fruits, wild pansy grass, empty-bread grass, willow root, buckthorn bark, licorice root, forest mallow flowers and field crocodile. It is recommended to use belladonna and uterine horns (bellataminal, belloid, novo-passit). Healthy grass has long been used in the treatment of depressive states with severe symptoms of menopause.

Herbal and homeopathic preparations are a substitute for drug therapy. The use of various herbal and homeopathic medicines in therapy has a number of advantages, which include: quality, effectiveness, good tolerability, virtually no side effects and a small list of contraindications. The optimal combination of herbal preparations and hormone-containing medications, but the prescription of all drugs requires a thorough examination, consultation with a gynecologist-endocrinologist.

The presence of severe menopause symptoms is a serious reason to worry and consult a gynecologist. An experienced specialist will carefully collect anamnesis, study hormonal levels and prescribe individual treatment. The result of the therapy should be the elimination of discomfort caused by hormonal disorders. The following are used: hormonal drugs, phytoestrogens, dietary supplements, vitamin complexes, sedative herbal infusions or ready-made dosage forms of sedatives.