Menopause Resource Center
Menopause
article syndicated from Wikipedia
Menopause (also
known as the "Change
of life" or climacteric) is a stage
of the human female reproductive
cycle that occurs as the ovaries stop producing estrogen,
causing the reproductive system to
gradually shut down. As the body adapts to the changing
levels of natural hormones,
symptoms such as hot flashes, mood
swings, vaginal dryness, increased depression and anxiety,
and increasingly scanty and erratic menstrual periods are common.
Technically,
menopause refers to the ceasing of menses, whereas
the gradual process through which this occurs,
which typically takes a year but may last as little
as six months or more than five years, is known as
climacteric. Popular use however replaces climacteric with menopause.
The
average onset of menopause is 50.5 years, but some
women enter menopause at a younger age, especially
if they have suffered from cancer or
another serious illness and undergone chemotherapy. Premature
menopause (or Premature Ovarian Failure) is
defined as menopause occurring before the age of 40,
and occurs in 1% of women. Other causes of premature
menopause include autoimmune
disorders like thyroid disease or diabetes
mellitus. Premature menopause is diagnosed by measuring
the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and
luteinizing hormone (LH); the levels of these hormones
will be higher if menopause has occurred.
Post-menopausal
women, especially Europeans, are at increased risk
of osteoporosis.
Medical
treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed.
Most notably, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has
been used to reduce the weakening of bones and the
risk of heart disease after menopause. However, some
women have resisted the implication that menopause
is a disorder, seeing it as a natural stage of life.
There has also been scientific controversy over whether
the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. Specifically,
recent studies have suggested that HRT may increase women's
risk for Alzheimer's, breast cancer, heart disease
and stroke.
