Sexual Health

DISCLAIMER, we may give you an idea of whats wrong but if you feel something isnt right only a Doctor can give you a proper examination, assessment, and give you proper treatment for whatever problem you may have.

 

Menopause

Hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, these are all signs of Menopause. This will basically marks the end of a woman's child bearing years.

The years after a women's first menstrual period and before menopause are called pre menopause. After her last menstrual period, a women has hit menopause and it can be confirmed by missing 12 consecutive menstrual periods.

The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause and is the phase most women will be familiar with, as it involves the physical symptoms that we associate with menopause. This is a transitional phase that comes before and after Menopause, lasting 6 years or more and ending 1 year after the final menstrual period. It is during this time that the often erratically changing levels of estrogen and other hormones provoke the uncomfortable symptoms that many women may experience. But their is hope, after 1 year the effects usually end, at this point you can say you are Post Menopause. Most conceder themselves postmenopausal when they haven't had a menstrual period for 1 year.

 

 

 

 

The Signs and Symptoms Of Menopause

As stated before you can experience several symptoms, while some women may be so lightly affected that they hardly notice it. Hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, loss of libido and vaginal dryness are just a few of the more common symptoms of perimenopause/menopause. You may also notice a decreased sex drive, fatigue, hair loss, sleep problems, concentration and memory problems, dizziness, weight gain, anxiety, irritability and depression. Last some women will experience aches and pains (including breast pain), headaches, joint pain, itchy skin, digestive problems and symptoms associated with osteoporosis.

What causes menopause?

Estrogen levels are the main factor, at birth a girl is born with all the eggs she will have during her lifetime. As you age and your estrogen levels drop off, your ovaries begin to work less and less producing a smaller amount estrogen, progesterone and testosterone and ceasing to release eggs. Estrogen is an incredibly important hormone, affecting many parts of the body including the reproductive system and vagina, how the body uses and stores calcium in bones, and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels in the blood. Decreased production of estrogen is believed to be the leading cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause. For some women the decrease may be gradual, while in others it is abrupt or erratic thereby causing the symptoms to feel more or less severe.

Sex after Menopause

You will probably find you are a little dry down there and to over come this, more foreplay or lubricant should be worked into your sex life. Further the decline in testosterone and lower levels of estrogen can kill your sex drive. As estrogen production drops off it causes a decreased blood supply to the vagina, affecting vaginal lubrication which is what can cause the discomfort for some women during intercourse.

Treatments

Like all things in life, exercises and proper diet cure most of the issues, you can also use medication but that should be a last option if nothing else works.

Many have found you diet can effect menopause in two ways, namely both your body weight and symptoms. With proper diet you can cut down on the effects of hot flashes, irritability, headaches, nausea and night sweats. Drink more water to ensure your urine is clear, this means your are properly hydrated and will cut down on head achs after a week, the effects should be permanent so long as you stay hydrated. Avoid soy products as they mess with your hormone balance but, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, calcium rich foods, fatty-acids (found in fish and olive oil) and flaxseed are good for you.

It has long been know that regular moderate exercise can improve mental and physical health and decrease symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and night sweats in menopausal women. Yoga can also help with joint stiffness and is in and of it self can be good exercise.

The medical treatment for perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). It is used to provide relief by supplementing the body with adequate levels of estrogen and/or progesterone. However before you use this, fist try proper diet and exercise, and then see your physician to learn more about your options with this approach. This method can be used to relieve symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats and dry itchy skin.

Another medical treatment is combination Therapy (Progesterone-Estrogen Hormone Therapy). A combination of estrogen and progesterone are taken together and is the option used when a women still has her uterus and will decrease the risk for cancer of the endometrium caused by taking estrogen alone. The side effect of this option is that progesterone causes regular monthly bleeding.