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Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.
Perimenopause; Postmenopause
Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
Once menopause is complete (called postmenopause), you can no longer become pregnant.
The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. As the ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these hormones and the body responds accordingly. The specific symptoms you experience and how significant (mild, moderate, or severe) varies from woman to woman.
In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it tapers off. During this time, your menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 - 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely.
A gradual decrease of estrogen generally allows your body to slowly adjust to the hormonal changes. When estrogen drops suddenly, as is seen when the ovaries are removed surgically (called surgical menopause), symptoms can be more severe.
Because hormone levels fall, changes occur in the entire female reproductive system. The vaginal walls become less elastic and thinner. The vagina becomes shorter. Lubricating secretions from the vagina become watery. The outside genital tissue decreases. This is called atrophy of the labia.
The potential symptoms include:
In addition, the long-term effects of menopause include:
Blood and urine tests can be used to measure hormone levels that may indicate when a woman is close to menopause or has already gone through menopause. Examples of these tests include:
A pelvic exam may indicate changes in the vaginal lining caused by declining estrogen levels. The doctor may perform a bone density test to screen for low bone density levels that occur with osteoporosis.
Menopause is a natural process. Treatment with hormones may be helpful if you experience debilitating symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness.
Discuss the decision to take hormones thoroughly with your doctor, weighing your risks against any possible benefits. Pay careful attention to the many options currently available to you that do not involve taking hormones.
If you have a uterus and decide to take estrogen, you must also take progesterone to prevent endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). If you do not have a uterus, progesterone is not necessary.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
For years, hormone therapy was the main treatment for menopause symptoms.
Many health care providers used to believe that, in addition to treating menopausal symptoms, hormone therapy might help reduce the risk of heart disease and bone fractures caused by osteoporosis.
Over the last decade, several major studies evaluated the health benefits and the risks of hormone replacement therapy, including the risk of developing breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. Evidence from these studies raised concerns for an increased risk for stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, and blood clots, depending on several factors that include the types of hormones used.
Some women may still wish to consider hormone therapy for short-term treatment of menopausal symptoms. The key is to weigh the risks associated with taking hormone therapy against a particular woman's risk of heart disease or osteoporosis without taking hormone therapy. Other factors to consider include:
Every woman is different. Your doctor should be aware of your entire medical history when considering prescribing hormone therapy.
To reduce the risks of estrogen replacement therapy and still gain the benefits of the treatment, your doctor may recommend:
ALTERNATIVES TO HORMONE THERAPY
The good news is that you can take many steps to reduce your symptoms without taking hormones:
There are also some medications available to help with mood swings, hot flashes, and other symptoms. These include low doses of antidepressants such as paroxetine (Paxil), venlafaxine (Effexor), bupropion (Wellbutrin), and fluoxetine (Prozac), or clonidine, which is normally used to control high blood pressure.
Estrogen is responsible for the buildup of the lining of the uterine cavity. During the reproductive years, this buildup is shed (menstruation). This usually happens about once a month.
The menopausal decrease in estrogen prevents this buildup from occurring. However, hormones produced by the adrenal glands are converted to estrogen, and sometimes this will cause postmenopausal bleeding.
This bleeding is often nothing to worry about, but because it may also be an early indication of other problems, including cancer, your physician should always check any postmenopausal bleeding.
Decreased estrogen levels are also associated with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis and possibly an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Call your health care provider if:
Menopause is a natural and expected part of a woman's development and does not need to be prevented. However, there are ways to reduce or eliminate some of the symptoms that accompany menopause.
You can reduce your risk of long-term problems like osteoporosis and heart disease in the following ways:
Estrogen and progestogen use in postmenopausal women: July 2008 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. July/August 2008;15(4)584-602.
Mosca L, Banka CL, Benjamin EJ, Berra K, Bushnell C, Dolor RJ, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention in women: 2007 update. Circulation. 2007 Mar 20;115(11):1481-501.
North American Menopause Society. Estrogen and progestogen use in peri- and postmenopausal women: March 2007 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2007;14:168-182.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis. Feb. 2008. Accessed July 23, 2008.
Rossouw JE, Prentice RL, Manson JE, Wu L, Barad D, Barnabei VM, et al. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular disease by age and years since menopause. JAMA. 2007 Apr 4;297(13):1465-77.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Hormone therapy for the prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal women: recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:855-860
