menopausal syndrome

MENOPAUSAL SYNDROME
Menopause Overview
Menopause, the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is not a disease or an illness. It is a transition between two phases of a woman’s life.
Many women experience a variety of symptoms as a result of the hormonal changes associated with the transition through menopause. Around the time of menopause, women often lose bone density and their blood cholesterol levels may worsen, increasing their risk of heart disease.

Premature menopause: The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If
menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered to be premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence. 1-Menopause is more likely to occur at a slightly earlier age in women who smoke, have never been pregnant, or live at high altitudes. 2-If premature menopause occurs, a health care practitioner will check for other medical problems. About 1% of women experience premature menopause.
Perimenopause: The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a three to five year period called the perimenopause. During this transition, women may begin to experience menopausal symptoms and may lose bone density, even though they are still menstruating.
Surgical menopause: Surgical menopause is menopause induced by the removal of the ovaries. Women who have had surgical menopause often have a sudden and severe onset of the symptoms of menopause.
Menopause Causes
Menopause, when it occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, is considered “natural” and is a normal part of aging. But, some women can experience menopause early, either as a result of a surgical intervention, such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries, such as from chemotherapy. Menopause that occurs before the age of 45, regardless of the cause, is called premature menopause.
Normally, ovulation is triggered by a hormone called FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone. As you approach menopause, your remaining eggs become more resistant to FSH, and your ovaries dramatically reduce their production of a hormone called oestrogen. Oestrogen has effects on a variety of body organs, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, uterus, urinary system, skin, and brain. Loss of oestrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause. At the time of menopause, the ovaries also may decrease their production of testosterone—a hormone involved in your libido, or sexual drive.

Symptoms of Menopause-Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling .which can be felt like a sudden, transient sensation of warmth or heat that spreads over the body creating a flushing (redness) particularly noticeable on the face and upper
Irregular heart beat -A pounding, racing heart beat. This partially accounts for the sleeping troubles during perimenopause.
Irritability -A significant change in mood for an extended period of time associated with loss of interest in usual activities, sleep and eating disorders, and withdrawal from family and friends.
Mood swings, sudden tears and out of control
Trouble in sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats) –
Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles
Loss of libido - when people feel there’s something wrong with them because they have a low level of desire.”
Dry vagina -vaginal tissues start drying and become less elastic. Sex becomes uncomfortable, may be more prone to infections, vagina is frequently itchy and easily irritated, and, on the emotional side, you may feel older.
Crashing fatigue - feeling of weakness, tiredness, and lowered energy level. Drowsiness, urge to sleep.
Anxiety, feeling ill at ease - intense feeling caused by physical or psychological conditions. A feeling of agitation and loss of emotional control. Rapid heart beat, shortness of breath and palpitations. The frequency of anxiety can range from a one-time event to recurring episodes.
Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom -A significant and debilitating emotional state characterized by overwhelming fear and anxiety
Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion - difficulty remembering things, experience mental blocks or have trouble concentrating. Not getting enough sleep or having sleep disrupted can contribute to memory and concentration problems.
Disturbing memory lapses- Memory loss affects most people in one way or another.
Incontinence of urine, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence- This happens either when the bladder neck shifts position out of reach of the internal muscles that put pressure on it or when those muscles themselves fail to work effectively, because of age, surgery or childbirth
Itchy, crawly skin. Skin gets thinner, drier, flakier, and less youthful-looking.
Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons- Aching Joints and muscle problems is one of the most common symptoms of menopause.Increased tension in muscles.
Breast tenderness - Pain, soreness, or tenderness in one or both breasts often precedes or accompanies menstrual periods .discomfort and pain associated with touching or application of pressure to breast.
Headache -During the early stages of menopause, you may find that you’re getting more and worse headaches. These headaches are called “menstrual migraines”
Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea-
Sudden bouts of bloat -A puffy bloated, increases in fluid retention and abdominal distension.
Depression -Feelings of sadness, irritability, which is a significant change in mood for an extended period of time associated with loss of interest in usual activities, and withdrawal from family and friends.
Increase in allergies -Many types of allergy have their basis in hormone reactions. Hormone imbalance is a type of allergic reaction experienced by women from before puberty to old age.
Weight gain- specifically a thickening in your hip and abdomen,
Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair - Hair loss can be sudden or gradual loss or thinning of hair. You’ll notice hair in your brush; your hair may also get drier and more brittle or notice a thinning or loss of pubic hair.
Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance - inability to maintain balance upon standing or walking
Changes in body odour -The smell of this sweat may be more intense in people with inadequate hygiene, or merely have bad genes.
Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head - A peculiar “electric” sensation, or the feeling of a rubber band snapping in the layer of tissue between skin and muscle.
Tingling in the extremities,- This may feel like the “creepy-crawlies” as if bugs were walking all over you, a burning sensation like an insect sting, or just super-sensitivity. Pressure on an artery and reduce blood flow in your arm or leg, When you change body position and relieve the compression, the tingling quickly goes away.
Gum problems- Bleeding and sore gums are the same as most health problems “Gingivitis-inflammation of gums.
Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odour - Burning mouth syndrome is a complex, vexing condition in which a burning pain occurs on your tongue or lips, or over widespread areas involving your whole mouth without visible signs of irritation.
Osteoporosis (after several years) weakness of bones. This means they are much more susceptible to breaks and fractures.
Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier -A black or blue nail tells the world that you and your hammer had a problem. Reddish yellow nails. Nails that split and break can be a sign that you’re spending too much time with your hands in the sink. Nails that take on a convex, spoon like appearance may mean respiratory deficiency or simply that you’re not getting enough iron. Nibbled nails and hangnails can be tray your anxiety level. Fingernail and toenail problems are usually caused by inflammation of the skin around the nail or by an infection.
Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, ‘whooshing,’ buzzing etc.
Treatment
Usually in conventional treatment they treat the patient with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). This will produce more side effects, so patient will suffer more than pre menopausal problem. In Homeopathy method of treatment we treat the patient under totality of symptoms. So we will give preference to all symptoms of the patient. And Homeo medicines for the pre menopausal syndrome have no side effects. Homeopathy helps to control and cure the pre menopausal problems with out any side effects.
Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Women are always being treated by their doctors with harmful drugs to control their reproductive systems and natural cycles. This is especially true during menopause.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the latest, favorite, quick and easy solution to supposedly prevent the natural aging process and its problems. Medical doctors don't know what to do to help women without using harmful drugs. And, the drug companies must make lots of money even if their solutions are harmful.
HRT for menopause is quite controversial, even in the allopathic medical world, because of the serious health risks and undesirable 'side effects' of taking estrogen. Its long-term safety and efficacy remain a matter of great concern. Their own list of concerns includes:
The most common side affects:
bloating,
weight gain,
irritability and, rarely, depression.
For the first three to six months, vaginal spotting occurs in 30% to 50% of women taking continuous estrogen and progestin.
Serious risks:
the increased risk of developing breast cancer (by 25% and worse in women if there is current cancer or a family history), and
Uterine cancer by up to eight fold in women with an intact uterus;
Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding;
Acute liver disease;
Gall bladder disease;
Pancreatic disease;
blood clots;
Stroke;
Heart attack.
Relative risks:
Hypertension,
Benign breast disease,
Benign uterine disease,
Endometriosis,
Pancreatitis,
Epilepsy,
Migraine headaches.
Subjective Complaints of:
Nausea;
Headaches;
Breakthrough bleeding;
Depression;
Fluid retention.


Homeopathy for Menopause
Natural Re-adjustment of Hormone Levels
Homeopathy is the safest treatment before, during, and after menopause because it stimulates the natural hormonal balance without the use of harmful drugs. Constitutional homeopathic treatment is best during the transitional period of menopause in order to balance hormonal levels and cure the many accompanying symptoms. You cannot address the complex of these symptoms as separate from the whole individual; for this reason true classical homeopathic prescribing is highly recommended for the treatment of menopause.