According to the Mayo Clinic, menopause is not a medical illness. Menopause naturally occurs at approximately age 51, although it may occur sooner or later, depending on the body's production of progesterone. Many symptoms may occur with menopause, and it is these symptoms that may need treatment to reduce their effects on the individual.
Symptoms
Several symptoms are associated with menopause. These may include increased weight and abdominal fat, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, changes in mood and thinning hair. However, because menopause is generally connected to the aging process, other serious health complications may exist in connection with menopause. These complications may include bone loss, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and urinary incontinence. If symptoms of these health issues are detected, the individual's treatment may be more extensive than treatments intended to address only menopause.
Treatments
Treatments for menopause exist in a variety of forms. Hormone therapy is perhaps the most commonly known treatment for menopause. The Mayo Clinic states that it is the most effective available treatment for hot flashes in menopausal women.
The estrogen used in hormonal therapy is given in dosages as low as possible to address the menopausal symptoms that are occurring. Medicine Plus indicates that this is because there are known side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy, HRT, that negatively impact some women, depending on their family and personal health history. Side effects of HRT may include an increased risk of breast cancer and a greater chance of having a stroke and/or heart disease.
SSRIs
SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are low-dose antidepressants. Some SSRIs have been known to be effective in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. These include venlafaxine (Effexor), Prozac, Sarafem, Paxil, Celexa and Zoloft.
Clonidine and Gabapentin
Two medications that are known to reduce hot flashes in menopausal women are Clonidine and Gabapentin. Clonidine is normally prescribed for use in treating high blood pressure, while Gabapentin is traditionally used in the treatment of seizures. Yet, both medications have been effectively used to address symptoms of menopause.
SERMs
SERMs are selective estrogen receptor modulators. SERMs may be prescribed in lieu of hormone-replacement therapy because they contain raloxifene, which acts like estrogen, but does not have the same potential side effects of estrogen treatment.
Vaginal Creams
Vaginal creams may be prescribed by the physician to treat vaginal dryness associated with menopause. Vaginal creams contain a small amount of estrogen.
Home Remedies
Some women are capable of treating the symptoms of menopause through home remedies that include altering lifestyle. For example,specific factors within the existence of a person may tend to cause hot flashes to arise. If the individual is capable of discovering what these factors are, then she can potentially eliminate them from her life.
Diet and exercise are important lifestyle changes that will often reduce menopausal symptoms. Making sure that balanced meals that contain healthy ingredients are consumed and that a regular exercise program is created and committed to will help address the symptoms of menopause.
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