Climacteric, which is the medical term for menopause is the time in women’s life when their menstrual periods stop permanently. It is also an indication that they will no longer be able to conceive. Menopause usually occurs between the late 40s and early 50s.
Before menopause occurs, women usually experience symptoms such as irregular menstrual periods. This means their periods might be for a longer or shorter duration and might be heavier or lighter in the amount of menstrual flow. Other symptoms such as hot flash, which is a sudden sensation of heat that is experienced on the chest, neck, and face during menstrual periods, pain during sex, urinary problems, difficulty in sleeping, and frequent mood swings also indicate that a woman is approaching menopause.
Treating menopause
Some symptoms of menopause might go away on their own without any medical or therapeutic intervention. Following are some treatment options that can provide relief from some uncomfortable and painful symptoms of menopause.
- A low-dose of hormonal birth control can help in reducing and providing relief from symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, heavy or irregular period flow, and mood swings. Hormonal birth control dosage should be strictly avoided if you smoke as it can increase the risk of developing symptoms of high blood pressure and blood clots.
- Non-hormonal medicines that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be used to treat symptoms such as depression, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. There are other FDA-approved medicines that contain estrogen, which can be used for relieving the pain experienced during menopause.
- Topical hormone therapy such as low-dose estrogen cream can be applied directly on the vagina. It helps in relieving vaginal dryness and other symptoms such as hot flashes.
Although hormonal therapy helps in relieving symptoms of menopause, it can put one at the greater risk of developing other health conditions such as blood clots, stroke, and some form of cancers. If you decide to go for hormonal therapy, consult your gynecologist as they will be able to guide for the lowest possible dose for the shortest amount of time, based on the severity of your symptoms with minimum side effects.
Managing menopause
There are some non-hormonal and non-medicated forms of therapies that help to manage menopause in a better way. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Lifestyle changes
Added stress to your lifestyle can aggravate the uncomfortable symptoms experienced during menopause. Indulge in meditation, yoga, and light exercises to ease the symptoms of menopause. Changes in lifestyle address several menopausal symptoms and increase your general health. - Avoid hot flash triggers
A hot flash is also sometimes referred to as hot flush. Try and identify personal triggers and avoid them when experiencing menopause or even when you are menstruating. Some triggers include spicy foods, hot baths, cigarettes, caffeine, and alcohol. - Nutrition
It is one of the main factors that can help manage menopause. Having a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and whole grains help in balancing proper nutrition in your body, which eventually provides relief from the symptoms of menopause.
