The first signs of menopause, or the beginning of a new period in the life of a woman
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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A woman is a beautiful creature, the true purpose of which is not only to beautify the world, but also to continue the human race. The time comes, sexual function in the fair sex subsides, and they begin to notice the first signs of menopause, which is a signal for the end of an important period in the life of women, when the function of reproduction in the body was maintained physiologically.
When does the climax come?
The structure of the female body with all its roundness and convexity, the processes occurring within the female organism, are aimed specifically at the reproduction and development of a new life. But this process is not eternal, like all living things on the planet.
Over time, the production of sex hormones, in particular estrogen and progesterone, is reduced, the sex drive and the probability of pregnancy increase, a lot of unpleasant sensations associated with hormonal changes in the body. When a woman has the first signs of menopause, and what they will be, the case is purely individual, because the organism of each person is unique and reacts in its own way to various changes occurring both outside it and inside the organism.
Usually, menopause, as the menopause is commonly called, begins to manifest itself at the age of 45-50 years. This is considered a physiological norm, which, however, has its deviations. Pathological menopause with all its manifestations can begin in 30 years. This is facilitated by various causes, starting with ovarian dysfunction and genetic pathologies, and ending with the consequences of chemotherapy and various injuries and operations in the genital area.
For various reasons, there are changes in the work of the hypothalamus and the associated pituitary gland, which in turn regulates the work of the genital and endocrine glands. Disturbances in the pituitary gland affect the production of sex hormones, their blood levels decrease and an early menopause occurs.
Early signs of early menopause
An early menopause is menopause, which occurs in a woman younger than 40 years old. Before the onset of the forty-year boundary, a woman is considered fully capable of natural conception, but some failures in the body can significantly move this border. At the age of 30, some women begin to notice menopausal manifestations, and in some particularly severe cases, such symptoms are observed even in adolescence, which is an obstacle to maternity in the future.
Despite the fact that menopause in different women can manifest itself in different ways, the first signs of an early menopause are considered to be:
- Various disorders in the menstrual cycle of a woman, such as an increase or decrease in the intervals between menstruation, as well as a complete absence of menstrual flow.
- The appearance of manifestations similar to the tides, typical of the usual physiological climax (it throws in hot, then in the cold). Sometimes there is an unreasonable chill or fever in the face and hands.
- Violation of the rhythm of sleep and the psychoemotional state of a woman: fatigue and drowsiness, irritability, aggression, frequent changes in mood, memory loss (especially short-term) and concentration of attention, a propensity for depression.
- Disorders associated with urination (pain during urination, urinary incontinence).
- The weight fluctuations increase.
- Deterioration of the appearance and condition of the skin, hair, nail plates. The skin becomes dry and flabby, hair loss increases, nails crumble and break.
- Increase in jumps in blood pressure, increased heart rate, tachycardia.
- Frequent headaches accompanied by dizziness.
- Reducing sexual desire (libido), the appearance of pain during sexual intercourse on the background of dryness of the labia, reducing the secretion of secretions from the vagina and itching in intimate places.
These are common symptoms of early menopause, but again, they can not manifest themselves in full and with varying intensity. It all depends on the particular female body.
Age from 40 to 45 years is considered a border period. The appearance of symptoms of menopause during this period of time is considered a variant of the norm, although it is believed that the later the climax begins, the better for women's health.
The first signs of menopause in women 45-50 years old
Reducing the secretion of female sex hormones at the age of 45-50 years is considered a physiological norm. As well as the related changes in the body of a woman who need to be treated adequately and as calmly as possible to avoid unnecessary exacerbation of symptoms.
Physiological menopause has 3 periods, which can be designated as premenopause, menopause and postmenopause. Premenopause is the time of the onset of extinction of the hormonal function of the ovaries, which lasts until the last menstrual period. It was at this time in women 45-50 years, in some measure begin to appear the first signs of menopause.
At different representatives of the weak half of humanity the duration of this period can vary from 2 to 10 years, during which there is observed:
- A sharp decrease in the probability of conception of a child.
- Failures in the menstrual cycle: irregular cycle, scarcity or vice versa increase in the volume of discharge, up to the uterine bleeding.
- The growth of the interval between monthly from 1-1,5 to 3 months.
- With scant excretions, the volume of blood discharged gradually decreases until the complete cessation of menstruation.
- Sometimes there is a coarsening of the mammary glands associated with a fluctuation in the level of estrogens.
Cases of abrupt cessation of menstruation are the exception rather than the norm, so women usually learn about the approach of menopause in advance. The menopause period lasts for a year after the end of the last menstrual period, after which the postmenopause accompanies the woman until the end of her life. Beginning with menopause, a woman loses the opportunity to conceive naturally, the figure begins to lose its rounded feminine forms, the shape of the mammary glands changes (they sag, lose their elasticity, the nipples become flatter), the hair becomes thin, the mucous discharge from the vagina disappears, and the skin even in the mucous area becomes dry, flabby and wrinkled.
In addition to the above-described manifestations of premenopause, there are still some symptoms indicating the onset of the pre-climatic period. The first signs of menopause include the so-called "hot flashes", accompanied by a sudden heat, which begins with the face, neck and hands, gradually spreading throughout the body. In this case, a slight increase in temperature can be observed, the pulse frequency increases, the skin becomes stained and reddens, and sometimes sweating is marked, especially at night.
Tides are the most common symptom of the premenopausal period, and few can manage to avoid it. Nevertheless, the intensity of this symptom in women can differ significantly, so some ladies simply ignore such symptoms.
In addition, the onset of menopause may be marked:
- Insomnia, problems with falling asleep, when unpleasant thoughts associated with the day lived and problems arise in my head and the woman tries to find a way out of the situation instead of sleep.
- Strong attacks of rapid heart rate, when the heart seems to jump out of the chest without any reason for excitement.
- Pressure jumps, which has then increased indicators, then falls sharply, causing nausea, headaches, dizziness, even to fainting.
- An incomprehensible chill, often disturbing a night's sleep.
- Increased fatigue and lethargy, memory impairment and concentration of attention, which significantly affects the performance and quality of life.
- Muscle pain.
- Anxiety and anxiety, up to the obsession about the development of an incurable disease in a woman.
- Pain in the lower abdomen or in the lower back, which women associate with all kinds of pathological processes in the body.
- Decreased sex drive. In some cases, there is a rise in sexual libido, which is also the norm.
- Against the background of a circulatory disturbance, a pressure in the chest, numbness of the extremities with a characteristic tingling, trembling and "goose bumps" on the skin, may appear.
Many women during this period have daily changes in body temperature, a sense of lack of oxygen, taste changes, dry mouth and eyes, weight gain. Hair is actively graying, becoming thin, brittle and less dense. The skin also grows old due to a lack of hormones responsible for its elasticity and beauty.
What to do with the first signs of menopause?
Climax is a normal physiologically conditioned process, symbolizing a certain wear of the body, it is not worth fighting with. You can increase the elasticity of the skin with special cosmetic methods and tools, reduce the symptoms of menopause with drugs prescribed by a specialist doctor, but to restore the body to youth and the ability to reproduce is simply impossible.
Another thing, if the climax for some reason came very early. Previously, the onset of menopause is fraught with various complications. Such patients have a great risk of developing dangerous cardiovascular pathologies. Violations of the hormonal background can trigger the appearance of benign, and often malignant neoplasms in the mammary glands and ovaries. The mineralization of bone tissue worsens, resulting in the development of osteoporosis.
Hypertension, arteriosclerosis of vessels, diabetes, obesity, infertility are diseases, fertile soil for the development of which it becomes the early menopause. That is why it is so important that when the first signs of menopause appear before the age of 40, immediately seek medical advice from a gynecologist, an endocrinologist and perhaps even a psychiatrist. And this need not be embarrassed when it comes to the health of women.
In any case, whenever the menopause comes, prescribing treatment for the symptoms alone is ungrateful, as it can lead to unpleasant consequences. After all, only a doctor can pick up the necessary drugs and funds based on the characteristics and needs of the body, which the patient himself knows little about.
Usually, with mild and moderate severity of the climax, medication is not required, there are enough alternative drugs to help fight irritability, insomnia and headaches. In severe cases, doctors resort to medical therapy in combination with physiotherapy, water therapy, homeopathy, alternative medicine, psychologist and psychotherapist sessions, and sanatorium treatment.
There are special preparations of complex action, such as "Remens", "Klimoxan", "Tsi-klim", "Feminal", etc., which ease the condition of women with menopause. But, despite the fact that they are generally safe and have a small amount of side effects, to predict what impact they will have on each particular woman is very difficult. After all, each of us has its own "sores" and "zamorochki."
Limit only the recipes of alternative medicine in the form of soothing herbs and various infusions that do not have a negative effect on the body, is also not always possible, because menopause can manifest itself in different ways in each case. The appointment of stronger antidepressant drugs is again in the competence of a specialist doctor.
Early menopause is dangerous for the development of various complications, such as osteoporosis. To prevent and treat it, you may need to take special bisphosphonate drugs (Pamifos, Osteomaks, etc.), calcium and vitamin D compounds, including in vitamin-mineral complexes and preparations for osteoporosis. Assigning such medications alone is no less dangerous than the remedy for hypertension, which is one of the symptoms of menopause.
In addition, with the early onset of climacteric non-hormonal treatment is unlikely to give the desired result, and the appointment of hormonal drugs should be treated with extreme caution, because both the lack of hormones, and their excess can adversely affect the patient's health.
Why take hormones at the first sign of menopause?
The early menopause in women is associated with the pathological deficiency of certain hormones, so the main treatment will be directed to replenish the stores of these hormones in the body. Usually, women with 30-40 years of age use drugs containing 2 main hormonal components: estrogen and progestogen (progesterone analog). Estrogen has a positive effect on its dependent cellular compounds, and the progestogen prevents the development of malignant tumors, particularly in the genital area.
It is these two hormones that can prevent the onset of unwanted complications of early menopause. But here their dosage in the composition of prescription drugs depends on the needs of a particular organism, therefore, in addition to complex preparations ("Diane-35", "Rigevidon", "Novinet", etc.), containing both hormones, the doctor prescribes monopreparations that help to adjust the dose individually.
Estrogen, Ovestin, Extremex, Microfollin, etc., are included in estrogen-containing preparations.
Analogues of human progesterone are "Depostat", "Progestogen", a drug with the same name "Progesterone", etc.
As we see, it is very difficult to overestimate the importance of hormonal drugs in the treatment of menopause. You can try to replace them with hormone-containing alternatives and homeopathic medicines, but even such treatment should be under the supervision of the attending physician, so that the first signs of menopause at an early age, which served as a signal for action, helped to prevent possible complications, and did not result in major health problems.