What
is Menopause?
Menopause is
derived from the Greek word menos (month) and pause (to stop) refers
to the last menstrual period and is generally considered to have
occurred after 1 year of amenorrhea. At the age of 45- 50 years:
* The
sexual cycles in a female usually become irregular;
* Ovulation
fails to occur during many of the cycles.
After
a few months to a few years, the cycles cease and the female sex
hormones diminish rapidly to almost none at all. Sometimes the
phrase the change of life is used and often doctors use the term
climacteric.
Whom
does menopause affect?
Menopause,
occurring on an average at the age of 45, is a normal event but
it leads to much pathology in excess of that of the normal aging
process. The average age of menopause has not changed for centuries.
The age of menopause seems unrelated to socioeconomic factors,
race, weight or height although severe malnutrition or cigarette
smoking may result in an earlier onset.
The
real importance of menopause today lies in the increasing longevity
of the 20th century woman. With the increased longevity, women
will now spend a third of their lives in the postmenopausal state
(characterized by estrogen deficiency) attendant to many long-term
symptomatic and metabolic complications.
Why
does menopause occur?
The
cause of menopause is burning out of the ovaries. The aging of
the ovary begins even before birth when a progressive decline in
the number of primordial follicles compresses. The percentage of
growing follicles increases substantially at puberty and is maintained
throughout reproductive life and declines in the climacteric period
(period of time around menopause).
* Natural
menopause: Estrogens are produced in sub critical quantities
for a short time after menopause, but over a few years falls
almost to zero.
*
Surgical menopause: Besides natural menopause, loss
of ovarian function can also occur in patients receiving pelvic
radiation or chemotherapy or those having ovarian failure or
bilateral surgical removal of ovaries.
What
are the different phases of menopause?
Menopause
can be divided into three phases:
* Premenopause: There is a little disruption
of the ovarian function and the menstrual cycle remains regular.
Some symptoms may begin to occur in this phase.
*
Perimenopause: This phase represents declining ovarian
function with menstrual irregularities and symptoms commonly
start or become troublesome during this time.
*
Postmenopause: Once there have been no menses for 12
months the post-menopause phase is entered.
Get
complete information on women's health issues or problems. Also
find information about female periodic cycle, contraception, menopause,
osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy, haemorrhoids, ovarian
cancer, breast cancer.
About the Author
Vidula
Chopra
|