Menopausal syndrome: age. Symptoms of menopause. Folk remedies and preparations with menopause

Aging is an inevitable stage in everyone's life. Organs gradually reduce their functionality, body parts are physically degraded, the process of aging the body begins.

One of the signs of aging in women is menopause and menopause. During this period, the release of gonadotropic hormones into the blood is significantly reduced, which is the main reason for the natural cessation of menstruation.

Menopause: Definition and Species

Menopause is the result of very complex processes that occur in the body of a woman. This stage is accompanied by a complete or partial fading of the function of the ovaries, which indicates the termination of the reproductive capabilities of women.

Depending on what causes caused this process, distinguish pathological, physiological and artificial menopause.

Premature or pathological menopause can be a consequence of diseases of female genital organs. For example, tumor formations can cause pathological changes that symptomatically resemble menopausal syndrome. Age in this case is not perceived as an important characteristic, since the ailment can lie in wait and in twenty years.

Artificial menopause usually occurs when exposed to the body from the outside: surgical intervention in the genitourinary system, chemical and radiotherapy, pronounced stress or traumatic effects. The most common cause of the onset of artificial menopause is the removal of organs of the reproductive system (ovaries or uterus).

Physiological menopause, unlike other forms, is a normal process that includes a childbearing period.

The female hormone estradiol, which is necessary for menstruation and pregnancy, during the reproductive activity of the body is mainly produced by the ovaries. Over time, the reproductive system loses its ability to produce hormones, and this function is partially absorbed by the adrenal cortex. Since the level of estradiol production is unstable, menstrual cycles fluctuate for a while, and when the hormone decreases critically it disappears altogether, the menopausal syndrome occurs. Age in this case plays an important, but not decisive role. In most women, the natural aging of the body occurs between 45 and 55 years. But this unpleasant moment can be postponed, adhering to several important rules:

- lead a healthy lifestyle;
- minimize the intake of fatty foods and alcohol;
Exercise;
- spend at least two hours a day in the fresh air;
Avoid stress.

Age Range

Climax and menopause characterize the stage of transition of the female body from the reproductive period to the time of complete cessation of menstrual bleeding. This is a kind of step (this is how the "climax" is translated from Latin), to which every woman steps at a certain moment. Contrary to popular belief, women's menopause does not come at all at the same time. The age range can vary and it depends on lifestyle, environmental factors, hereditary predisposition.
Statistics say that menopause is normal in the period of 45-55 years. It is this age that is the starting point for the extinction of female sexual functions. The appearance of menopause up to the age of forty-five is considered early and requires attention to the state of health of a woman.

It is known that the main causes of menopause are the age-related changes in the female body, but in the modern world, menopause can come much earlier than expected. Such pathology can be caused by a single negative factor or by their combination.

For example, in non-smokers and women who do not abuse alcohol, their reproductive age is on average 2 years longer. Important is also the food that the woman uses. To preserve youth, a special diet is needed, including vegetables and fruits and eliminating fatty, excessively salty and smoked food.

Psychological factors also play an important role. Many women who have suffered a strong emotional shock, face the manifestations of menopause at a fairly early age. The first signs of menopause in 40 years - this is not a terrible myth. Because of the constant emotional stress that lies in wait for each step, for a modern woman such situations are not uncommon.

Stages of menopause

Doctors call the climax a certain chain of physiological events that are stretched in time.

Hormonal restructuring of the body is divided into three main periods:

1) Premenopause is the process immediately preceding menopause. It begins in 40-45 years and lasts from three to five years.

The symptomatology of the period is characterized by hormonal changes in the body: the follicle-forming function of the ovaries is gradually depleted, which leads to a disruption in the production of sex hormones. During premenopause and menopause, the discharge is meager, and the interval between cycles is twice as much as three times permissible. The ovulation stage with the release of the egg first shrinks in time, and then disappears completely from the cycle, eliminating the possibility of becoming pregnant. Despite changes in the functionality of the ovaries, the structure of the uterus does not undergo major changes, and its endometrium retains its inherent properties.

2) Perimenopause is the period of cessation of menstrual flow. It lasts up to 12 months from the last month. In this case, the whole organism is restructured.

3) Postmenopause is the final stage of hormonal reorganization of the female body, which starts from the 13th month after the end of menstruation and indicates the complete loss of fertility.

During this period, the body is most susceptible to the formation of atypical cells in tissues, which is the main cause of cancer. In addition, because of age-related changes, it is possible to develop diseases that were not previously observed. In this regard, you need constant control over the production of hormones and the general state of women's health. The survey is recommended to produce at least twice a year.

Symptoms

About the onset of age changes in the reproductive system of women are the main signs of menopause. At the age of 40, symptomatic manifestations practically do not differ from symptoms in a timely menopause.

The main symptoms of menopause:

1) Violation of the menstrual cycle or absence of menstruation. Because of the decrease in the level of sex hormones, the ability of the ovaries to reproduce the ovulation process is significantly reduced. This leads to loss of reproductive functions.

2) Hot flushes - a sudden burning sensation in the chest that spreads to the entire body. Tides are often accompanied by excessive sweating and trembling, and subsequently - with cold chills. Periodicity of tides - 1 time in 1-2 hours, duration from 3 to 10 minutes.

3) Irritability, insomnia and depression are the consequence of hormonal changes in the body.

4) Dryness in the vagina. Because of the lack of the estrogen hormone , less secretory lubricant is released, which causes the vaginal mucosa to dry out.

5) Loss of sexual desire and interest in a partner. Dryness in the vagina causes discomfort during sexual intercourse, the woman does not get pleasure, therefore, it begins to associate sex with torture. She ceases to show sexual activity and reacts with irritation to the initiative of the man.

6) Urinary incontinence occurs due to a sharp decrease in the muscle tone of the urogenital system. Especially often, such processes occur during coughing, sneezing, laughing and other severe stresses, which causes moral discomfort in women.

7) Lack of or increased appetite. Because of the unstable level of hormones, taste preferences and the required dosage of food can fluctuate. Sometimes a woman has an all-consuming feeling of hunger, and sometimes no appetite at all.

8) Significant change in body weight.

9) Feeling of chronic fatigue is typical for almost all women who undergo this stage - menopausal syndrome. Age in this case is not of paramount importance.

10) Fluctuation of blood pressure.

The presence of the above signs can accurately testify to one thing - the menopausal syndrome has come. Age in this case has no clear boundaries, and can vary from 40 to 55 years.

It is noticed that in half of the cases the menopausal syndrome begins to appear long before the onset of the first signs of menopause: there are problems with conception, and then bearing a child, there is frequent violation of the menstrual cycle, sexual desire is dulled.

Complications of menopause: bleeding and concomitant diseases

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the hormone estrogen for the female body. He not only responsible for the reproductive function of women, but also affects the work of all life systems.

Menopause, reviews of symptomatic manifestations of which overflow the Internet, is a test period during which the body adapts to new conditions.

Estrogen deficiency during this period causes not only pathological changes in tissues and organs, but also leads to psychological disorders due to vegetative-neurotic disorders. This can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, stroke, ischemic disease and hypertension.

During menopause, the body's immune defenses decrease. This can cause the development of autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Bleeding in menopause is not normal, but about 40 percent of women have ever experienced this pathological manifestation.

Menopausal bleeding is common in women with early menopause. They are caused by a sharp fluctuation in the production of hormones and a violation of ovulation. Endometrium of the uterus is prone to pathological changes, which can lead to bleeding of varying degrees of intensity.

During this period, a thorough examination and constant medical supervision are necessary, since bleeding may indicate the development of malignant tumors in the uterus.

In the severe form of menopausal bleeding, in-patient treatment with hormonal therapy is performed.

Diagnosis of menopause

Symptomatic manifestation of menopause occurs in each woman individually, depending on the characteristics of the organism.

Among the external signs it is worth noting the violation of the menstrual cycle, the appearance of headaches, hot flashes, excessive irritability, mood changes and decreased sexual activity.

Laboratory signs of menopause - a decrease in the production of estrogen and an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone.

To confirm the beginning of the period, you need to contact the gynecologist, as well as the endocrinologist and conduct a laboratory test.

The simplest method of laboratory determination of the climacteric period is the test for menopause. In appearance and method of application, it resembles a pregnancy test.

To conduct it, you must use the first morning urine, since it contains the highest level of hormones. The presence in the urine of follicle-stimulating hormone will indicate the onset of menopause.

The test should be performed with the first external symptoms of menopause. If the cycle is regular, it is necessary to make a test in the first days of the cycle and repeat the procedure in a week. If the cycle is irregular, the test period is not important.
If the result of 2-3 tests is positive, you should consult a doctor who will perform additional diagnostics and make appropriate appointments.

Menopausal syndrome: therapy

The symptomatology of menopause can be expressed in varying degrees of severity, hence, and the drugs for menopause vary in their composition and effects on the body.

Even if the process of hormonal adjustment proceeds according to the normal schedule and pathologies do not manifest, additional support of the organism is required. In this case, it is necessary to take vitamin-mineral complexes, which normalize metabolic processes in the body.

Well-proven such vitamin complexes, as "Menopause" and "Menopace". They include multivitamins with micro and macro elements that are sources of energy for the body, strengthen the bones and nervous system, prolong the life of the ovaries.

During menopause, also taking symptomatic medications that alleviate external symptoms (soothing, hypnotics, lowering blood pressure) is also necessary.

To soften the symptoms of menopause, non-hormonal agents based on herbal components are used, for example, the biologically active food additive ESTROVEL® capsules are a complex of phytoestrogens, vitamins and microelements, the components of which act on the main manifestations of menopause. ESTROVEL® contains vitamin K1 and boron, which contribute to reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

In case the medicine is positively received by the body, menopause will be postponed, and all symptoms associated with menopause will be eliminated for a while.

In case of severe complications during the menopausal period (obesity, exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis), hormone replacement therapy is prescribed, including taking medications with estrogen content. These drugs are Hormoplex, Proginova, Premarin and Estrofem.

In addition, there are funds used for combination therapy, which are designed to eliminate discomfort at the initial stage of menopause and stabilize the menstrual cycle. Among such funds, it is possible to allocate preparations "Климонорм", "Климен", "Фемостон" and "Дивирен".

When a woman has menopause, tablets and other types of medication should be taken only after consultation with the doctor. Self-medication can aggravate the symptoms and cause irreversible changes in the body.

Folk remedies that restore sexual function in menopause

Hormone therapy is certainly effective, but it has a number of contraindications and is not available to everyone. In this case, phytotherapy comes to the rescue. In the treasury of traditional medicine, you can find recipes for tinctures and decoctions, which can significantly alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Components are easy to find in any pharmacy, besides their cost is much lower than that of traditional medicine.

The most popular folk remedy for menopause, relieving hot flushes, is based on only three components: sage leaves, valerian roots and grass horsetail. To prepare the broth, take 2 tsp. Of each component, pour 3 tbsp. Boiling water and insist for two hours. Take 1/3 cup three times a day.

Another popular remedy with menopause, which helps to minimize its pathological symptoms, is tincture of ashberry. To make it, you need to grind 200 g of fresh berries, then pour them 1 liter of cognac. The infusion period is 2 weeks. Take the drug should be 1 tsp. 3-4 times a day. As mountain ash is a natural energy and a storehouse of useful substances, taking tinctures will positively affect the work of the whole organism.

An excellent remedy, leveling the hormonal background with menopause, is tincture from the root of a red brush. To prepare the medicine you need to take 50 grams of rhizomes and pour 1 liter of vodka. After a week of insisting, take 1 tbsp. L. 3 times a day.

Diet and lifestyle in menopause

In the modern world of many women, the menopausal syndrome is quite early in sight. The manifestations of the first signs depend on the rhythm of life, nutrition, physical and emotional loads.

Quite often, the cause of menopause are bad habits, such as smoking and drinking, poor nutrition, hard diets, and a sedentary lifestyle.

During the menopause, a number of changes take place in the body, and in order to maintain its tone, it is necessary to follow a certain diet and lifestyle changes.

First of all, you should normalize the food. It is especially important to reduce the intake of fat, because during this period a woman can quickly gain excess weight.
It is necessary to exclude from the diet products that contain "hidden fats". You should also stop fast food. Food is preferable to use in stew or cooked, ideally - steamed.

With a decrease in estrogen in the body of a woman, the amount of calcium decreases, which leads to osteoporosis. Therefore, a woman during this period should eat fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products.

With menopause and menopause, a woman may have irritability and insomnia caused by a lack of magnesium. Therefore, a woman should eat buckwheat, barley, sea cabbage, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, cashews, walnuts and cedar nuts, as well as almonds.

Vitamins in menopause are an integral part of a woman's diet. They increase the body's resistance and immune defense. Priority in the diet should be allocated to fruits, vegetables, cereals and nuts. It is these products that contain the greatest amount of nutrients a woman needs during the menopause.

In addition to nutrition, it is necessary to revise the way of life: spend more time in the fresh air, sleep at least 7 hours a day, avoid stress situations whenever possible.

Pregnancy after the onset of menopause

The main role in the life of a woman is the continuation of the family, that is, the bearing and the birth of the child. The most favorable period for this is in the range of 20 to 35 years. It is at this age that a woman is fully formed physically and morally, all her organs are working at full capacity, the body is ready to provide the future child with all the necessary elements for normal development.

Pregnancy in later life can carry the risk of pathological development of the fetus. Despite this, many women decide on the birth of a child, even in the menopausal period.

Since the hormones estrogen and progesterone are responsible for the processes of conception and development of the fetus, the reduction in their production reduces the probability of conception. But this does not mean a complete loss of genital function. Modern drugs with menopause in women allow to conceive and bear a child within two years after the onset of menopause. But is this risk justified?

With the onset of menopause in the female body, a number of changes occur that adversely affect the development of the fetus: chronic diseases worsen, the emotional state is unstable, the body's internal reserves are running out. In this case, pregnancy and childbirth will be a serious test for both women and children.