Menopause is the stage where every woman reaches and will renewal or starts of the next half of her life. When we talk about menopause there are many questions will come in your mind? Here are 10 things that you should know about menopause.
- You can stop using birth control pills
If you reach menopause, then you should stop thinking of birth control pills, people do not know when that is? We generally use birth control until they have missed menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. It is normal for women to miss menstrual cycles only to have a period and then have to start counting missed cycles again. In this missed months you can get pregnant during these moments. So you should give up birth control after the 12th-consecutive missed cycle. If you want to know in details you need to consult your doctor and take suggestions.
- Hot flashes
Hot flashes are common in women who reached menopause, but it is not compulsory that every woman should have hot flashes. Not all women get hot flashes, most women will experience some sweats, particularly at night. This can continues for five years after post menopause.
- Weight gain after menopause
Weight gain around your midsection is typical; this is due to the calories. So, you need to adjust your calories at meet your daily total calories requirement. In this condition, metabolic rate may come down and you can also see the loss of muscle mass.
- Vaginal atrophy
You may experience the vaginal atrophy and vulvar, the skin and tissue around your vagina become thinner, less elastic and drier. This can also be painful during intercourse, so it is better you talk to your doctor for better treatment options.
- Hormone therapy a treatment
If you have severe hot flashes Hormone therapy (HT) is good to treat the condition. HT is a medical treatment for unrelenting, severe hot flashes, but this may have the risk of breast cancer. The safe option is lifestyle changes, should be explored first.
- Common complaints
Some common complaints such as sleep difficulties, anxiety among, depression, irritability, forgetfulness found in women.
- Alternatives to HT
If you want to try other therapies for hot flashes other than hormone therapy, then you can include vitamin B complex, paroxetine, clonidine, vitamin E, gabapentin, etc. Some women also respond to foods such as soy foods, evening primrose oil, etc.
- Osteoporosis
The risk of osteoporosis is common after the menopause, so it is good to go with DEXA screening for bone density. Alternatively, a tool called the FRAX assessment can be used in women younger than 65 years to determine which women should have a DEXA scan.
- Heart disease
The risk of heart diseases increases after the menopause, this is due to the decreased levels of the estrogens levels in the body.
- Change of voice
The voice may change after the menopause, it is not applicable for every woman, but some changes like voice, increase in facial hair may occur in some women.
So, it is very important to know about this condition, menopause is not a disease it is a phase in the life cycle of women. All the above discussed are the 10 things which you should know about this menopause condition.
