Perimenopause and menopause: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

This article is professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. Doctor has many years of experience in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

1. What is perimenopause and menopause?

According to the physiological process, when women reach the age of 45-55, there will be changes in estrogen and progesterone levels - these are two female hormones produced in a woman's ovaries. Along with the decline of ovaries as well as an imbalance of female hormones, this is the time called perimenopause. However, not all women experience perimenopause at the age of 45-55, depending on each person's location, this period will come 2-5 years earlier or later. Menopause is the time when the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, this is considered the transition period from middle age to old age. The telltale sign of menopause is that your period will stop completely within a period of one year, except in cases of amenorrhea due to medical conditions. Menopause is a fairly long process, the reproductive functions will slowly disappear, the reproductive organs will atrophy and you will not be able to get pregnant anymore.
Perimenopause and menopause is a time when women are prone to physiological and psychological changes due to internal and external changes in the body such as pulse disturbances, hot flashes, which can last for many months or more. five.

2. The stages of menopause

Due to many different reasons such as each person's location, living environment and nutrition, menopause is divided into two stages: early menopause and late menopause.
Early menopause: Menopause before the age of 40 is assessed as early menopause. At this time, the follicles are not mature or can not be released anymore, you will not be able to get pregnant and there will be many changes in your body such as: vaginal dryness, burning pain during sex and many difficulties in pregnancy. married life. There are many causes of early menopause in women such as: hysterectomy with two ovaries left, immune disorders, use of many stimulants such as alcohol, beer, tobacco which are harmful to the body... Menopause Late menopause: After 55 years of age, not having menopause is called late menopause.

3. Causes of menopause in women

Causes of menopause in women:
Age: Menopause comes as a natural process of every woman's life cycle: puberty, reproduction, perimenopause and then menopause; Hysterectomy: If the uterus and ovaries are removed, a woman will directly enter menopause without going through perimenopause, the menstrual cycle will stop immediately;

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: Women with cancer use chemotherapy or radiation treatments, this is also the cause of menopause, but menopause will occur gradually with perimenopause from several months several years before menopause actually occurs; Premature ovarian failure: Premature aging ovaries stop functioning and cause early menopause in women; Decrease in female hormones: This is also one of the causes of menopause in women.

4. Signs of menopause in women

Knowing if you have reached menopause or not will help you prepare mentally to get through this period. Here are the telltale signs of menopause in women:
Frequent urination, difficulty urinating, urinary frequency; Menstrual irregularities, may stop suddenly or menorrhagia, the amount of menstrual blood is also significantly reduced; Sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, dry or no vaginal secretions that make sex more difficult; Osteoarthritis pain due to decreased estrogen, increased bone resorption and decreased bone regeneration, you are easy to experience bone problems such as osteoporosis; Reduced fertility, impaired ovarian function, low chances of conception; Hot flashes and night sweats, feeling hot all the time, sudden increase in body temperature in the upper body or the whole body; Insomnia and intermittent insomnia, can not sleep deeply, hot people cause sweating, especially at night;

Dizziness, insomnia, weight loss control, belly fat significantly increased; Mood swings, women in this period are very irritable with people; Other changes such as forgetfulness, worse skin, hair loss more easily.

5. The effects of menopause on women

Menopause is a time that any woman will go through, the effects of menopause affect women in a variety of ways, which may have no effect or great effect on them. Here are some common effects of menopause on women:
Health effects Menopausal women experience many health problems such as: osteoporosis is more likely to break bones and harder to heal with age. already high, cardiovascular diseases can cause stroke due to a serious drop in estrogen levels.
Effects on beauty During menopause, the amount of estrogen decreases, making the skin worse, wrinkled and no longer as elastic as in youth, pigmentation spots and age spots appear more obvious. Maintaining weight also becomes difficult, you easily gain weight and belly fat. Hair is also drier, easier to fall out, breasts also shrink and tend to be more flabby.
Psychophysiological effects Menopause is considered a time when it is easy for women to change their personality, they will become more irritable, more emotional. The ability to concentrate and remember is also markedly reduced. Sex drive also declines and many physical problems change.

6. How to overcome menopause?

Although menopause brings many changes for women, understanding it well and having methods to regulate it will help you get through this period and gradually adapt and get used to the changes in your body. body. Here are a few tips for women in general and for those approaching menopause in particular to get through this period:
Have a scientific lifestyle, eat and sleep properly to have a healthy lifestyle. Good health, especially should eat a lot of vegetables, soy products and good fatty acids, drink a lot of milk to avoid osteoporosis. Pay attention to monitor your own health, as mentioned above, this is the period when women have many health problems, you should go for regular health check-ups to be able to detect abnormalities of the body early. can be treated as soon as possible. You should have time to relax every day, avoid stressing your body, you can find light leisure activities such as walking, watching movies, practicing yoga, dancing. Give up bad habits that affect the body such as staying up late, eating unscientific, using stimulants such as alcohol, beer and tobacco. Drink enough water during the day, this will help eliminate waste from the body, helping you to regulate body temperature. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is providing pre-menopausal health examination and counseling package. When registering for an examination package, customers will be examined and consulted with a specialist in Gynecology; Perform tests to assess hormone status. When registering for the premenopausal health care package and consultation, customers will receive:
Gynecological specialist examination Gynecological examination, breast examination Transabdominal ultrasound of uterus and ovaries Take specimens as a smear Cervical-vaginal cytology Mammogram (2 sides) Osteoporosis Measure other tests to detect pre-menopausal conditions, if any.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.