What is Menopause?

Menopause.jpg

WHEN DOES MENOPAUSE OCCUR?

The word ‘menopause’ comes from the Greek words ‘menos’ meaning month and ‘pause’ meaning to cease. Menopause means the monthly period stops. Menopause is the final menstrual period. 

Usually, you only know you have had a final menstrual period if you have had no period for 12 months.

WHAT HAPPENS AT MENOPAUSE? 

Women are born with about a million eggs in each ovary. At puberty approximately 300,000 eggs remain – by menopause there are no active eggs left. 

On average women in Australia have 400 to 500 periods in their lifetime. 

With each ovulation (or release an eggs from the ovary) from about 35 to 40 years of age, the eggs left in your ovaries decrease quickly, then ovulation stops as do your periods.

WHAT AGE DOES MENOPAUSE START?

Most women reach menopause between 45 and 55 years – the average age of menopause for women in Australia is 51 to 52 years. 

Menopause sometimes occurs earlier than expected as a result of cancer treatment, surgery or unknown causes.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF MENOPAUSE?

Stages of Menopause.jpg

HOW ARE HORMONES & MENOPAUSE RELATED?

Hormones are chemicals made in your body, which send out messages through the bloodstream. They help control many body functions such as repair of cells, reproduction, sexual function, digestion and body temperature. 

Hormones alert the body to eat, stop eating, to sleep, wake up, to grow, or when hormone levels decrease, to stop growing. 

The hormones of particular relevance at menopause are; oestrogen and progesterone. Menopause symptoms occur as the levels of oestrogen and progesterone change in the body. 

These changes in oestrogen and progesterone usually happen over months or years as you approach menopause. 

If menopause is induced by surgery or cancer treatment, there can be a sudden drop in all of these hormones, causing more severe symptoms.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE?

Symptoms of menopause generally include

  • hot flushes, 

  • vaginal changes, and

  • mood swings.

There are other physical and emotional symptoms such as aches and pains, crawling or itchy skin, sore breasts, irritability, but no one woman will experience menopause in the same way. 

Women’s culture, health, previous experience of mood problems, lifestyle and whether you have had a natural or a surgically or chemotherapy-induced menopause, can all impact on menopausal symptoms. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP WITH MENOPAUSE? 

Ways to approach Menopause can include:

Seeking information and increase your understanding of what changes are happening and what you can do to help yourself 

Living a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce symptoms of menopause:  

  • Enjoying a nutritious diet helps with fatigue and moodiness  

  • Being physically active helps with hot flushes, stress and mood  

  • Keeping an eye on your alcohol intake, as alcohol is known to make hot flashes worse is also a good idea

  • Practical strategies to stay cooler such as carrying a hand fan, water facial spray and wearing layers of clothing to peel off when you are hot,

Complementary therapies including Herbal and natural remedies: 

  • the herb black cohosh and eating phytoestrogens (eg soy, lentils) may help with hot flushes;

  • St John’s Wort may help with mood changes at menopause. 

  • The safety and effectiveness of other herbal remedies are not proven  

  • Relaxation: practising relaxation and controlled breathing may help hot flushes 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): 

  • used mostly for up to 5 years to ease menopausal symptoms in healthy women. 

  • Risks and benefits should be considered when deciding with your doctor whether to use HRT 

  • If you cannot take HRT, other medications such as antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and anti-epileptic medicine can reduce hot flushes 

Keep a record of the physical and emotional symptoms troubling you and list their frequency and effect on your daily life. This information can help to see what changes you can make to reduce their impact 

Look after your emotional health along with your physical health 

Depending on your symptoms, you may like to see a registered naturopath, psychologist, dietitian, exercise physiologist, general practitioner, gynaecologist or endocrinologist (hormone specialist) 

YOUR NEXT STEP

Dr Alexander can talk to you about:

  • less regular periods,

  • heavy bleeding,

  • symptoms of menopause that interfere with daily life, and

  • symptoms of depression and anxiety, including changes to your thinking, eating, sleeping and enjoyment of activities.

and can offer advice.

Arrange an appointment now for peace of mind and body.

We would advise that you see your general practitioner and possibly obtain a referral to see Dr Alexander at www.alexalexander.com.au