Post-Menopause: Diagnosis, Symptoms & Treatment
Contrary to what many people believe, when a woman undergoes menopause she does not just experience an immediate halt in her menstrual cycle. In fact, a woman would undergo through a number of stages which is considered as the transitional period. During this transitional period, a woman may not have menstruation for a few months and then would again start having her period. Only when a woman would experience a halt in her menstrual cycle for a period last for more than 12 months would she be considered as undergoing post-menopause, or simply menopause.
Symptoms of Post-Menopause
There are a number of symptoms that are experienced by a woman with regards to post-menopause include the following:
• Hot flashes
• Varying mood swings
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Memory Loss
Diagnosis of Post-Menopause
A number of women who are younger than 50 years old have reported to experience various symptoms that are very similar to those of post-menopause. Medical experts have acknowledged that it is possible for a woman in her 30s or 40s to undergo post-menopause. This led to the development of a number of tests that are now used to determine if a woman is undergoing post-menopause or another form of medical condition.
The first test conducted measures the amount of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) found in the woman’s system. The second test measures the estradiol levels in the body. estradiol is the form of estrogen hormone produced in the ovaries.
Estradiol hormone is only produced when a woman’s ovaries regularly produce and release egg cells. This hormone, in turn, regulates follicle-stimulating hormones which are produced by the pituitary gland. When a woman undergoes post-menopause, her ovaries have already stopped producing egg cells that trigger a menstrual cycle. As such, estradiol hormones would decrease in their levels, causing the amount of FSH hormones to increase. Results of these two tests showing low levels of estradiol and high levels of FSH hormones therefore can allow the physician to conclude that the woman is indeed undergoing post-menopause.
Treatment for Post-Menopause
Since many of the symptoms of post-menopause result from the decrease of estrogen hormone levels in a woman’s body, the primary form of treatment is through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Here, a woman takes prescribed dosages of estrogen hormones. By doing so, a woman would be able to bring the estrogen levels to its “normal” levels. This eventually caused many women to be relieved from the symptoms brought about by post-menopause.
However, recent research studies have discovered that prolonged use of HRT can lead to a number of other medical conditions. Some of these are the increased risk of heart attack, stroke and even breast cancer. This has prompted more and more women to seek alternative forms of treatments for the symptoms of post-menopause.
One of the methods that are becoming popular is the use of herbal remedies to counter the symptoms of post-menopause. These remedies use a variety of herbs and spices which include licorice, chasteberry, wild yam and dong quai. However, scientific studies have yet to validate these claims.
