What are the symptoms of menopause in women? The first symptoms of menopause without symptoms in a woman

After 40-45 years, women experience perimenopause and all the accompanying symptoms. One of them is cold tides. Just like hot flashes, they come spontaneously and significantly frighten a mature lady, do not allow her to relax and constantly make her nervous. Sometimes the chills during menopause in women are so strong that the body experiences severe trembling and changes in heartbeat occur. Why does this happen and how to help the body cope with the most unpleasant manifestations of the onset of menopause.

Etiology of climacteric disorder

Chills during menopause appear as a result of a malfunction in the thermoregulation mechanism. Perimenopause is characterized by a rapid and irreversible decrease in estrogen production. Due to a deficiency of female sex hormones, the functioning of almost every system of the body is disrupted, including some brain areas.

The center responsible for thermoregulation of the body suffers first of all, which is why hot flashes and chills during menopause are inextricably linked. It receives false signals that provoke the release of adrenaline. As a result, the lady feels intense heat, her heart rate increases, blood rushes to her head and this causes her cheeks and neck to décolleté to turn red. The body “thinks” that the body temperature has increased and tries to reduce it.

If a woman feels chills during menopause, she is immediately covered in cold sweat and internal trembling goes through her. This condition can occur immediately after or even before a hot flash. Menopausal manifestations can occur both day and night, preventing a woman from working normally and having proper rest. It is very important for women to find out in advance what to do if they shake during menopause; reviews from women who have already gone through premenopause and menopause will be especially useful.

What does the tremor that occurs during menopause indicate? Lyudmila, 54 years old, Severomorsk

Menopause brings a lot of drama to a woman’s destiny. Due to hormonal imbalances, almost all organs suffer. Chronic diseases weaken the body even more, blood pressure rises, hot flashes and psychological problems occur. Some begin to have such a negative manifestation as tremor.

Tremor, as a medical concept, is the shaking of the body. Involuntary rhythmic twitching in individual muscles can occur most often in the arms, legs, eyelids, and lower jaw, but sometimes they affect the entire body.

Muscle tremors are not an independent disease; it is one of the symptoms of internal health problems. The causes of body tremors may be physiological or pathological.

Physiological tremors occur for a short period of time; when the cause of muscle excitation is eliminated, this symptom quickly goes away. Factors leading to this state are:

Physical stress, overwork. During menopause, the body's endurance threshold may be reduced.
Stress, after which the nervous system is overly excited. Nerve impulses lead to involuntary contraction of muscle tissue.
Some medications that provoke peripheral nervous excitability (mental stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, some antibiotics). When the medication is discontinued, the side effect goes away.

Tremor is considered pathological when it is a manifestation of some disease, and occurs during menopause for the following reasons:

The onset of Parkinson's disease is the most common cause of tremors. With this disease, brain cells begin to break down and die. A distinctive feature of this disease is that the hands involuntarily make rotational movements and begin to shake against the will of the person. Defeat with such a tremor begins with difficulties with memory, shaking of one hand, and ends with a general loss of motor function.
Impaired thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism, which occurs during menopause, causes muscle tremors in the arms and legs.
Diabetes. This disease often begins in women of menopausal age, and imbalanced hormonal levels are also to blame.
Vascular diseases, the onset of Wilson's disease, progressing through menopause.
Osteochondrosis of the neck, another scourge of women during menopause, when pinched nerves cause the arm muscles to twitch.
Liver damage and kidney failure, the formation of which is not uncommon due to hormonal imbalances at this age.
Mental disorders during menopause, menopausal neurosis.

Different types of tremor manifest themselves in different ways:

Physiological tremors are small and rapid; when the causes are eliminated, they easily subside.
With senile tremor, the chin, lower jaw, head, and fingers shake finely.
Hysterical tremor during mental trauma is accompanied by strong tremors of the whole body, with a paroxysmal character or constantly. The shocks occur unevenly in time and strength.
Trembling with Wilson's disease, kidney failure, liver is also called asterixis. Asterixis is expressed by slow, uneven contractions of the limbs.
Neurosis gives the symptom of trembling together with shortness of breath, panic attack.

Trembling due to psycho-emotional reasons is treated with sedatives. Most often women use:

tinctures of valerian, motherwort,
Novopassitom,
Glycine.

Prolonged depression with tremors requires a course of strong antidepressants prescribed by a specialist. Treatment on your own is unacceptable, so as not to aggravate the disease.

What depends on us?

If some of these manifestations begin, you need to:

engage in physical exercise, race walking, spend more time in the fresh air,
give up alcohol, cigarettes, coffee,
protect yourself from stress.

Dear women, if you pay close attention to your health, you will not put off going to the doctor and will respond to all these symptoms in a timely manner. Be healthy!

Source: vklimakse.ru

Symptoms

Do you experience chills during menopause? Every second representative of the fairer sex of menopausal age encounters it. Hot flashes of cold can bother you for several minutes and sometimes even hours, and neither hot drinks, nor warm clothes, nor other sources of heat help restore normal well-being.

In some cases, attempts to warm up lead to a new flush of heat, and then again to chills. This is how the thermoregulatory center in the brain reacts to hormonal imbalance.

Chills during menopause are characterized by severe symptoms:

a feeling of “goosebumps” appears;
the skin turns pale;
tremor of the limbs is noted;
blood pressure drops sharply;
are bothered by muscle spasms;
impaired concentration;
feeling weak, dizzy, and headache.

Important! Cold flashes are often accompanied by a short-term increase in body temperature and body aches, so they can easily be confused with signs of a cold.

Can chills during menopause harm women's health? This symptom of menopausal syndrome poses a particular danger to a woman’s nervous system. The lady does not know when to expect a cold surge, is constantly in nervous tension, and is afraid to leave the house. Her quality of life is deteriorating, irritability and tearfulness appear, which are only reinforced by other manifestations of the onset of irreversible menopause. If the doctor considers menopause to be pathological, he will definitely prescribe medications for medical correction of the menopausal condition.

Manifestations of menopause

Menopausal syndrome manifests itself in the form of a triad of components: neurovegetative, metabolic-endocrine and mental disorders (neurosis-like register).

There are a great many manifestations of mental disorders among representatives of the fair half of humanity during menopause, but they often boil down to the following:

disturbances in the emotional sphere;
decreased memory and attention functions;
increased fatigue;
irritability, short temper, aggressiveness;
anxiety-phobic symptoms;
depressive symptoms;
increased emotional lability.

Preventive and therapeutic measures

It is immediately worth noting that it will not be possible to completely avoid chills and fever during menopause. However, it is quite possible to make manifestations of hormonal disturbances in thermoregulation. To do this, you need to strictly follow the advice of your gynecologist and take care of your health. What measures, according to women, are most effective in eliminating chills during menopause?

Lifestyle change

Do you experience internal tremors in the body during menopause? You need to think about what factors lead to an increase in the intensity and frequency of hot flashes. Tremors of the limbs, cold sweat and the appearance of goose bumps can be caused by:

abuse of strong coffee;
love of spicy food;
smoking;
disturbance of sleep and wakefulness;
constant stress at work and at home.

By eliminating these factors, you can feel better without much effort. In addition, women of menopausal age are advised to adhere to certain rules.

Wear clothes made from natural fabrics and dress for the season in accordance with weather conditions.
Review your diet: remove salty, fried and spicy foods from the menu, giving preference to foods rich in proteins and difficult-to-digest carbohydrates.
Give up bad habits - no nicotine and alcohol.
Do sports regularly: fitness, swimming, aerobics, Nordic walking - any physical activity will be extremely useful.
Take mineral and vitamin complexes specially designed for the aging body.
Avoid stressful situations, try to establish a calm microclimate in your own home and workplace, do not take failures to heart and do not react to trivial disappointments.
Before going to bed, be sure to ventilate the room and, if possible, take walks in the fresh air.

A healthy lifestyle is the basis of good health. A rested body is less susceptible to the negative symptoms of menopause and has more strength to cope with them without serious drug support.

Secrets of traditional medicine

Can shaking occur during menopause? If the blow is strong, then trembling cannot be avoided. During a cold tide, the feeling of being immersed in icy water is created, so the body produces a natural reaction - severe trembling.

To prevent chills from interfering with living a peaceful life, you can use the methods recommended by traditional medicine.

Take a decoction of St. John's wort. This herb has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and also reduces the intensity of other manifestations of menopause.
Use alcohol tincture of rowan. Red berries are poured with vodka and left in the refrigerator for 1 week. You need to take 1 tsp. before bedtime.
Every day, 3 times a day, instead of strong tea and coffee, drink a decoction of oregano. This drink has a mild sedative effect and neutralizes insomnia.
A decoction of herbal tea, which includes motherwort, marsh cudweed and hawthorn flower, will help relieve cold hot flashes. 2 full tbsp. The mixture is poured with 0.5 liters of boiling water and left to cool for 2-3 hours. Drink warm before meals, 150-200 ml.
What to do if tremor appears during menopause? You can take peony tincture. Peppermint also helps with increased irritability of the nervous system. It is brewed instead of tea with a small amount of ginger root or a slice of lemon.

Where does the treatment of the disease begin?

The nature of the treatment of climacteric neurosis depends on the severity of the disease. In the early stages, there is no point in resorting to potent drugs, but you should pay attention to:

Correct diet. A diet based on plant, dairy products, vegetables, fruits. Avoid eating cholesterol-rich foods. Alcohol, an abundance of spices, strong coffee, and tea are completely excluded.
Complete rest and sleep. If a woman does not get enough sleep, then treatment of neurosis will give almost no results. It is recommended to take short breaks throughout the day.
Regular walks in the fresh air. Constant walks have a beneficial effect on your overall psychological state. A sanatorium-resort treatment wouldn't hurt either.
Therapeutic exercise, massage. They have a beneficial effect not only on the mental state, but also on the physical indicators of the body.

As for drugs for the treatment of neurosis during menopause, they are selected strictly individually. Without a real need, there is no point in taking potent drugs that are more likely to harm than help.

Causes

During menopause, various changes are observed, including in hormonal levels. The amount of estrogen, the female hormone, decreases, which significantly affects the processes that occur in the brain, including thermoregulation. The organ regards the lack of estrogen as a signal of heat deficiency and therefore begins to actively release it. And then the attacks of heat, hated by everyone, come - sensations often accompanied by increased sweating. The caring body, in order to eliminate the heat, signals rapid cooling, resulting in chills during menopause.

As a result, flashes of cold are replaced by flashes of heat, which can be caused by factors such as major and minor stress, physical strain and mood swings. Smoking, poor diet and drinking alcohol are also among the causes of this symptom, especially during menopause. It is necessary to remember that a woman becomes wise and mature, a new stage of maturity begins in her life, and therefore bad habits not only threaten the body, but also bring many painful and negative sensations.

Pathological menopause - causes

Fortunately, menopause does not always occur pathologically in a woman (in the form of the so-called “menopausal syndrome”). But if this is the case and there are mental disorders, then it is necessary to determine the probable causes of this condition.

Significant causes of psycho-emotional problems during menopause can be:

psychological trauma;
regular stress;
all sorts of unfavorable social factors;
low self-esteem and self-esteem;
dissatisfaction with life;
poor quality of intimate relationships (presence or absence of a sexual partner, problems in intimate life);
presence of a mental disorder.

The occurrence of psycho-emotional disorders during menopause can be significantly influenced by such traumatic factors as changes in appearance (the appearance of wrinkles, gray hair, fullness and changes in the proportions of the figure).

Symptoms

Chills during menopause are expressed in different ways for each woman, but most often a surge of cold begins to be suddenly felt, and the external ambient temperature does not affect this process. This sensation can immediately be replaced by hot flashes. The woman cannot warm herself with anything; she experiences a feeling of numbness in her arms and legs, and unpleasant trembling. This condition is accompanied by bad mood, drowsiness and weakness.

If you discover these symptoms in yourself, there is no need to be afraid; this is one of the harbingers and main companions of menopause. Chills can be felt several times every few months or within a few minutes, or can become a daily accompaniment for many years. In some cases, this feeling can remain for the rest of your life. However, if you take good care of yourself and your body, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and follow the recommendations for alleviating the signs of menopause listed below, chills will not be a regular problem.

Treatment

Doctors usually recommend making lifestyle changes first before turning to medications. Diet, exercise, and behavioral options can help restore thermoregulation.

Home measures:

Reduce stress and anxiety. Anxiety can cause chills or worsen hot flashes. Deep breathing exercises and meditation can help calm you down and reduce the severity and duration of discomfort.
Avoid common triggers. Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and nicotine can cause or worsen hot flashes and chills. It is better to completely exclude these factors.
In the cold season, you should dress warmly and be sure to wear hats. It is advisable to wear things made from natural fabric. Avoid synthetics. The chilly sensation can last for hours or days, so it may take a long time for any menopausal symptoms to resolve.

If the chills are very bothersome, it would be a good idea to visit a doctor. Poor circulation, thyroid dysfunction, anemia and low blood sugar can cause discomfort. The cause of chills may be a serious pathology, and not a hormonal imbalance.

As with menopause, the severity of symptoms can greatly depend on the correct approach to treatment and adherence to doctor's recommendations.

Non-hormonal and hormonal therapy

Medicines for hot flashes and chills during menopause in women are prescribed by a doctor after examination and passing the necessary tests. An individual approach to therapy is a necessity, not a whim: in order to correct the hormonal levels of a particular woman, it is necessary to carefully analyze the characteristics of the body, diet and lifestyle, diagnose chronic diseases and hereditary risks.

Treatment of hot flashes during menopause is divided into two types: the use of non-hormonal drugs (including herbal medicines and sedatives) and hormonal therapy. For stress-related hot flashes, sedatives may be prescribed.

Treatment with non-hormonal methods is auxiliary in nature and can be used with minor symptoms. As a rule, modern hormonal-based drugs are used for effective therapy.

The decision to choose one or another type of treatment in any case requires agreement with the attending physician.

Herbal medicines include plant extracts that contain phytoestrogens, that is, substances that have some structural similarity to female sex hormones. As a rule, extracts of cohosh, soybean and red clover are used. These plants contain a lot of phytoestrogens. The main disadvantage of such treatments is their limited effectiveness. They affect only the symptoms, without eliminating the main cause - hormone imbalance, and therefore do not act in the necessary way on hormone-dependent tissues and organs.

The most effective treatment for menopause is hormone replacement therapy. It is based on the additional use of hormones that are no longer produced by the ovaries.

This treatment of chills during menopause is not just symptomatic, it affects the cause of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause, for example, impaired glucose and fat metabolism, weight gain, and increased blood pressure. The advantages of therapy are obvious: the body does not suffer from a lack of estrogen, the likelihood of heart and vascular disease decreases, and the signs of menopause are eliminated.

The risk of side effects in each specific situation is analyzed by the doctor, who prescribes the most appropriate hormonal menopausal therapy drug for the patient.

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Although there are currently a lot of studies that talk about the safety and benefits of modern hormonal drugs, some women still have a prejudiced attitude towards them. Modern hormone replacement therapy is prescribed after diagnosis and in the absence of contraindications, it allows you to regain confidence in your attractiveness, avoid the significant consequences of menopause and improve your quality of life.

Causes of neurosis during menopause

Almost 60% of women during menopause suffer from menopausal neurosis. If earlier doctors associated this disease with a lack of hormones, now experts are increasingly paying attention to age-related changes in the functioning of the hypothalamus.

Of course, the unpleasant symptoms of menopause caused by changes in hormonal levels affect the psychological state of a woman, but they act as a kind of amplifier of the symptoms of menopausal neurosis, and not its main cause.

In addition, the following factors play an important role:

Hereditary predisposition.
Characteristics of a person's personality.
Stressful situations of the past (present).
Weak immunity.
Constant overstrain of the body.
Wrong lifestyle.
Lack of nutrients in the body.
Chronic fatigue.
Sleep disturbance (systematic lack of sleep).

Menopausal neurosis can be caused by either a single cause or a combination of factors. Only a specialist can establish the exact picture of the disease. It is the doctor who will analyze the situation and select the appropriate treatment. Because harmless symptoms can hide not only metabolic disorders, but also vegetative-vascular, as well as serious mental disorders.

Requirements for clothing and bedding

You should start with clothes, which should be made only from natural materials. Try to wear it in layers. If another hot flash occurs, outer clothing can be removed, and then significant relief will come.

It is necessary to refuse clothes made from silk. Don't get carried away with dresses and sweaters made of wool. Any synthetic items should be excluded from your wardrobe. It is better to prefer clothes made of cotton or viscose. Do not wear a sweater with a collar that is too high, large or tight.

Bed linen should also be made of cotton fabric. If a woman has a partner, it is better to choose a larger bed. Cover yourself only with a light blanket or sheet. A woman should not be hot while sleeping, comfort is first and foremost. Then you won’t suffer from chills during menopause.

Relaxation treatments

You need to take warm baths with the addition of herbs more often. Thanks to this, you can not only warm up during chills, but also balance thermoregulation, cleanse the skin, reduce sweating and simply pamper yourself during a difficult period.

The herbal mixture for taking a bath for chills and hot flashes is as follows: take one part each of calamus root, thyme, yarrow herb, oregano, sage, pine buds and three parts of wormwood. Grind all ingredients well and mix. Brew ten tablespoons with three liters of hot water. Boil for ten minutes and pour into the bath. It can be taken for no longer than ten minutes twice a week.

Traditional methods of eliminating cold flashes during menopause

There is an opinion among doctors that you should not use hormonal drugs during menopause unless absolutely necessary, as they can provoke even more severe hormonal imbalance and bring a lot of side effects.

Even if menopause is very problematic, treatment is possible with the help of phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are a specially synthesized hormone similar to the female hormone, which is taken from special medicinal plants. To relieve both hot and cold flashes, try the following herbal remedies:

Oregano. A decoction of this plant is responsible for normalizing the patient’s sleep and returning her peace of mind, calmness and efficiency. Drink oregano tea three times a day, try to completely replace tea and coffee with it. If you don’t like the taste of this herb, then add it to your tea as a flavoring.
St. John's wort. This herb is suitable for those who, due to menopause, began to experience problems with the heart and blood vessels. In addition, St. John's wort can strengthen the nervous system and help activate metabolic processes.
Sage. Women took this remedy several centuries ago, and they still take it today. It is one of the best in the fight against menopause symptoms. This remedy will help restore the normal balance of hormones. Add sage to tea or drink a decoction of it on its own at least three times a day.
To eliminate the symptoms of menopause, hawthorn, namely its dried fruits, is often used. This plant is good to use for frequent hot flashes, both hot and cold. The fruits are poured with hot water, allowed to cool, and taken instead of tea.
Rowan tincture. It is done very simply - pour a handful of fresh rowan with plain water and leave for a week in the refrigerator. Take one teaspoon every day before bed.

Normal rest and relief from stress

Strong physical exertion, overwork and stress should be avoided. However, we must not forget about physical activity: do a little gymnastics every day, do yoga. You can start or continue playing a light sport, and also make a rule - take walks every day in good company. The most important assistant and savior will be a contrast shower, which not only helps strengthen blood vessels, but also acts as prevention and resuscitation.

What else will help get rid of chills during menopause?

Why you shake and shiver during menopause: causes and treatment of cold flashes

Everyone has heard about hot flashes during menopause, but there are cases when hot flashes do not occur in the usual form in the form of hot flashes, but so-called cold flashes occur. Such hot flashes are characterized by either heat or chills. Usually this condition is very exhausting for a woman, preventing her from getting enough sleep at night and living life to the fullest. How can you get rid of them and help yourself?

Positive attitude

A woman does not need to oppress herself and fear the onset of menopause. The changes happening to her are natural, they are intended physiologically by nature. There is no need to worry and immediately run to the doctor. If you notice the symptoms of chills listed above, you just need to relax, calm down and distract yourself with a positive film, interesting literature or your favorite activity. If no measures help, a high temperature appears along with chills, an unpleasant phenomenon bothers the woman too often, you should consult a specialist. Perhaps light remedies for menopause will not be superfluous.

Treatment for menopause-related anxiety

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other types of therapy are often used to treat menopausal symptoms. Some women are not the best candidates for HRT and should make the decision to use this treatment in consultation with their doctor.

If a woman is going through menopause and experiencing high levels of anxiety, non-hormonal medications may be suitable for her, but their use should also be discussed with a doctor.

Women with moderate to severe cases of anxiety can use popular types of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

SSRIs often help reduce symptoms of anxiety. However, according to research, those women who take such drugs have side effects that affect their sex life. These side effects may include decreased libido, difficulty getting aroused and achieving orgasm.

For women who experience side effects from SSRIs, other types of antidepressants are available. These include new types of drugs such as bupropion and duloxetine.

Older, more established antidepressants such as tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are not associated with sexual dysfunction. However, they may cause other side effects.

Reducing the amount of medication you take may reduce side effects for some people who experience sexual dysfunction while taking antidepressants. However, it is important for each patient to consult with a doctor before reducing the dose, since stopping such medications can cause serious consequences.

Vitamins and proper nutrition

Some components of products can directly provoke such a symptom. For example, fatty and spicy foods, sweet carbonated drinks, seasonings, alcohol, caffeine. You should not drink too much coffee, as it does not help you warm up, but on the contrary, it can cause another fever and further chills. During menopause, you should give up all these foods and delight your body with large quantities of vegetables and fruits, dairy products rich in protein and calcium. Stick to a special diet. Eat more natural foods and avoid processed foods whenever possible.

Reviews about chills during menopause in women

Unfortunately, many women are forced to face the unpleasant signs of menopause. However, each of them has the right to decide: to come to terms with the symptoms of this condition or to help themselves through the use of properly selected remedies.

Reviews from patients indicate that specially prescribed medications and vitamins easily combat the problem. Other women advise to be sure to take the necessary microelements and herbs, and recommend visiting a naturopath.

There are also reviews that claim that the manifestations of menopause are almost untreatable, especially with tablets sold in Russia, and only foreign medicines can help. However, such opinions are rare. We looked at whether chills can occur during menopause.

Treatment of chills with traditional methods

The very first thing we think about is all kinds of herbs. Once upon a time, medicine was not so developed and our ancestors made do with improvised means. The following decoction will help reduce the intensity of chills. Take chamomile flowers, yarrow, celandine and mix them in even quantities.

Some part is poured with boiling water and continued to cook in a water bath. Then the infusion is filtered and the required amount of boiled water is added. This medicine should be taken twice a day - morning and evening. Birch leaves and buds, lovage root, rosemary, and rue leaves will help cope with the disease.

How does menopause manifest itself?

The female body is very sensitive to changes in hormone levels, so menopause cannot go unnoticed.

Its most common symptoms are:

Fatigue due to constant lack of sleep, drowsiness during the day.
Decreased level of working capacity.
Flashes of hot and cold in the upper body, followed by “shaking” after this.
Sudden mood swings, irritability, nervousness.
Headache.
Blood pressure surges.
Sexual life disorders.
Pain in bones and joints, their thinning, and the likelihood of fractures also increases.
Deterioration of the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
Night cramps in the limbs.
Some women gain significant weight during menopause.

Menopause (menopause)

Signs

Climax does not come immediately, it attacks gradually.
It starts with the so-called early disorders. During this period, bleeding may be observed (which is sometimes caused by a tumor), as well as a number of disorders, united by the term “menopausal syndrome.” This syndrome is especially often observed in February - March, which is apparently associated with spring hypovitaminosis and fatigue of the body after winter. The main complaint is the so-called hot flashes, that is, sudden redness of the face, neck, chest, and back of the head, accompanied by a feeling of heat. This state lasts for 2-3 minutes, more often in the evenings; hot flashes are especially painful at night. During hot flashes, there is profuse sweating. Nervousness, irritability, headaches, surges in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, asthma attacks, chills, weakness, decreased libido, drowsiness, anxiety, insomnia, feelings of fear, depression and even depression are often noted. Body temperature may rise unpredictably and for no apparent reason from time to time. Some menopausal women experience increased blood pressure, sometimes pain in the heart, in the knee joints, and less commonly in the finger joints (endocrine arthritis). Pain during sexual intercourse, increased sweating, tingling or trembling in the limbs, periodic numbness of the limbs, dizziness, sudden changes in mood, depression, fatigue, tension may occur. If in some women sexual desire (libido) may decrease or even disappear, in others, on the contrary, it increases, but for various reasons (impotence in the husband, sexual illiteracy, rare sexual relationships for objective reasons) is not always satisfied. Against the backdrop of a woman’s difficult psychological state, increased nervousness and low self-esteem, a difficult atmosphere may arise in the family with accusations of treason against the husband and scandals.

Others at this time find it difficult to endure the company of loved ones, they stop loving their husband, children, dog - everyone irritates them. In addition, during menopause, a woman is in a state of psychological stress, aggravated by the fact that at this time problems arise with growing or already grown children, aging and sick parents. Public opinion also plays an important role, according to which it is often believed that menopause is the end of femininity and the beginning of old age, that is, a time of loss. It is very important to control yourself and not get used to the role of the patient, otherwise families fall apart - husbands leave, children begin to behave incorrectly.

Description

Menopause, menopause, menopause is a transition from the reproductive period, when a woman wants and can have a child, to a state in which she can no longer conceive. That is, this is a kind of stage (menopause is translated from Greek and means “step”) in life, when the biological supply of follicles in which eggs mature is exhausted, which means that the body does not need hormones intended for the reproductive process. It stops producing them - the cyclical secretion of sex hormones is disrupted and their quantity decreases, the functions of the gonads slow down, and the function of the ovaries gradually fades away. As a result of “switching off” the ovaries, a woman stops menstruation.

The menopause consists of three phases: premenopause, menopause, postmenopause. The most significant hormonal changes, manifested in noticeable disturbances in the physical and emotional state of a woman, are noted in premenopause . This is the period that covers the time when a woman's periods become irregular, stop altogether, and two years after that. Perimenopause lasts about four years.

If there have been no independent menstruation for a year, we can say that the last menstruation is menopause . Natural menopause begins at the age of 50-52 years. The cessation of menstruation at 40-44 years of age is considered early menopause, and at 36-39 years of age it is considered premature. If a woman has her ovaries and/or uterus removed, the resulting menopause is called surgical or artificial. Early menopause is promoted by active smoking (more than 10 cigarettes per day), stress, and low body weight; some chronic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid dysfunction, type 1 diabetes. Menstruation may stop after chemotherapy or radiation for serious illnesses.

The onset of postmenopause is determined by the date of the last menstruation, but establishing this period is possible only 12 months after its independent cessation.

The decline of ovarian function is inherent in nature, which means that it should not be painful. And 20-30 percent of women of “transitional” age maintain good health in all respects at this time. Well, maybe rare hot flashes with sweating sometimes overtake them. However, 70 percent complain about their health, being absolutely sure that it was menopause that started its deterioration. In fact, menopause is a kind of result of how a woman has taken care of herself throughout her life, and what state her organs were in on the eve of menopause. After all, estrogens regulate the functioning of not only the reproductive system and mammary glands, but also the cardiovascular, central nervous, respiratory, urinary systems; the density of bones, blood vessel walls, the condition of the skin and mucous membranes depends on their activity... As soon as hormones stop regulating their function , even a secretly hidden pathology manifests itself, although before menopause everything seemed to be in order.

Menopausal disorders that a woman may experience are divided into early-term ones , usually lasting the first 2 years after the end of menstruation: hot flashes, increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, pressure changes, irritability, weakness, depression. Medium-term , appearing 2-5 years after menopause: dryness and itching in the vagina, urinary incontinence, prolapse of the pelvic organs, skin changes. Late-term symptoms overtake a woman 5-10 years after menopause: weight gain and redistribution of fat according to the male pattern, cardiovascular problems, progressive loss of bone density - osteoporosis.

Statistics show that a woman stops liking herself two years after the end of her period, when the hair on her head noticeably thins, a “moustache” appears above her upper lip, the skin frankly loses its elasticity, noticeable wrinkles appear, and in some cases, acne, like in teenagers . She is getting fatter and despite any heroic efforts - exercise, strict diets - she can only stop the weight gain, but she cannot return to her previous, pre-menopausal weight. This is the result of the predominance of male hormones over female ones - androgens over estrogens. Yes, there is a certain amount of estrogens in the body, despite the fact that the ovaries no longer produce them. The body cannot do without them and, making up for the lack of estrogens, it is forced to “extract” them from male hormones - androgens - through complex chemical transformations. And they occur only in subcutaneous fat, so the body tries with all its might to preserve and increase it.

Lack of estrogen is expressed in various ways. The labia majora and minora become thinner, become flaccid and dry, the entrance to the vagina narrows and loses elasticity, pain appears during sexual intercourse, pain in the bladder, when urinating, and urinary incontinence. In the mammary glands, glandular tissue is replaced by fatty and connective tissue, so the breasts lose their elasticity and shape. The effect of the thyroid gland on metabolism weakens, and body weight increases - fat gradually accumulates in “problem” areas: the abdomen, buttocks, thighs and chin. The fact that the ovaries produce less and less hormones (estrogens) may be accompanied not only by menopausal syndrome. Late symptoms of menopause, appearing in postmenopause, can be severe metabolic disorders, such as atherosclerosis - deposition of fatty substances on the inner lining of blood vessels, osteoporosis (decreased bone mass) and senile dementia (Alzheimer's disease).

Diagnostics

At 40-45 years old, a woman needs to see a gynecologist-endocrinologist - one who will treat menopause informally. At a critical age, it is worth undergoing more in-depth studies: check the level of cholesterol in the blood - do a lipid test, colposcopy, ultrasound of the reproductive organs, thyroid gland, densitometry - study of bone density, and, of course, mammography, even if the woman, following the advice of doctors, carries out monthly self-monitoring of breast condition. It is also necessary to examine liver function, perform an ECG and check vision. It is useful to draw up a graph of blood pressure yourself (measure it in the morning and evening at the same time for several days in a row), as well as a graph of weight changes depending on the food eaten, and also show them to the doctor. Only a gynecologist-endocrinologist, having processed all the information, can decide whether you need hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is the main and most effective method of treating menopausal disorders, during the period of restructuring of the body.

Treatment

The gold standard in the fight against menopause is hormone replacement therapy (taking medications containing female hormones). Doctors call it running up the stairs leading down: the faster you run, the greater the chances, if not of regaining youth, then at least staying in place and stopping the rapid aging of the body. In this case, doses of hormones are prescribed as large as necessary, and as small as possible, in order to create conditions under which the decrease in the concentration of estrogen in the body occurs gradually, without causing disruption in the functioning of organs and systems. But sometimes hormone replacement therapy will not be beneficial. Contraindications to it are estrogen-dependent malignant tumors, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, acute thrombophlebitis, severe liver and kidney diseases with impairment of their functions.

The drugs used in replacement therapy, replenishing the deficiency of sex hormones, also eliminate the symptoms associated with their deficiency. For women suffering from hot flashes, they help significantly improve their well-being; starting from the 2-4th week of use, they eliminate genitourinary disorders. Early administration reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke by half. The use of hormonal therapy is the most effective method of preventing and treating osteoporosis, and if treatment is started in the first 5-7 years after the onset of menopause, the risk of fractures of the forearm and femoral neck is halved. In women receiving hormone therapy, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is reduced by 40-60%.

Doctors have a wide selection of medications in their arsenal - tablets, suppositories, creams, patches, gels, subcutaneous implants. Doses of sex hormones are selected in such a way as to effectively eliminate the symptoms of menopause and avoid complications of menopause, but at the same time have a minimal effect on the uterus and mammary gland.

Over time, depending on changes in the woman's condition, one drug may be replaced by another. While taking them, you should regularly visit your doctor and undergo annual examinations in a timely manner.

However, many people are prejudiced against replacement therapy. Some are afraid of developing cancer, others do not want to get better. All these are myths - nothing grows from scratch, including a malignant tumor. And before prescribing any drug, a thorough examination is carried out to assess the condition of the entire body, and not just the hormonally dependent organs of the reproductive system and mammary glands. As for weight gain, when taking medications, on the contrary, the weight is normalized, and if you apply additional efforts, you can lose weight.

For those who categorically do not accept replacement therapy or have contraindications for it, there are alternative methods - vitamin therapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine (taking herbal antidepressant drugs, as well as drugs containing phytoestrogens - hormone-like substances, “cheats” for the body). Physiotherapeutic procedures also help to cope with unpleasant symptoms during menopause. Alternative methods effectively eliminate hot flashes and other vasomotor disorders, but do not help in any way to cope with the cause of the development of cardiovascular problems or problems associated with the central nervous system. Before using these methods, you should consult a doctor - only a gynecologist-endocrinologist can decide whether a woman needs replacement therapy, or whether she can get by with restorative measures.

Unfortunately, for all sorts of disorders that accompany menopause, many women turn to specialists in various fields: therapists, neurologists, gynecologists, surgeons, each of whom, not taking into account that the symptoms are a manifestation of menopause syndrome, prescribe “their” medications. That is, they affect individual processes, and not the true cause of ailments. In addition, their abundance leads to the effect of polypharmacy - a condition in which some drugs are antagonists, while others have the ability to reduce the activity of others. Meanwhile, in the countries of Europe and America, many years of experience have been accumulated in the use of replacement therapy, in which estrogen deficiency is compensated, which causes various disorders in a woman’s body during menopause.

And yet we must understand that menopause is not a disease, but a natural process in a woman’s life, the same as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth. And only for some women, natural processes under the influence of external factors (health problems, poor environment, numerous stresses, lack of proper rest, regular full sex) occur with certain difficulties that can and should be treated. As a result of age-related changes in the body, unpleasant symptoms often go away without treatment. But if they affect the quality of life, you need to be treated.

Lifestyle

It is important to remember that menopause is one of the links in the chain of changes that a woman experiences from birth to death, and our body is a balanced biological system, very sensitive and has a huge margin of safety, and if it is not disturbed or harmed, it will cope with these changes.

The main thing is not to be left alone with your problems, not to get hung up on them, you need to look for a way out of difficult situations. If it is difficult to cope with your mood, do not hesitate to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist. In no case should you refuse sex, especially since only now you can get full joy from it, without worrying about the need for protection.

At this time, you need to adjust your daily routine and diet, and give up bad habits. You need to take a contrast shower in the morning and evening, exercise, and move more. Women who play sports experience hot flashes more easily.

You need to stop smoking and not drink too much coffee. These are not general words, this is really necessary. It is necessary to maintain a healthy regime of work and rest - sleep as much as the body requires, and not bring the state of fatigue to the point of exhaustion. In nutrition, you should adhere to simple, well-known rules - eat most of your daily diet in the morning, remembering the popular wisdom “eat breakfast yourself.” Don't eat too much at night. If the feeling of hunger prevents you from falling asleep, you can eat any fruit or vegetable, with the exception of bananas and grapes, and some dried fruits (not raisins).

In order not to gain excess weight, you need to eat at least five times a day (preferably by the hour), but little by little. This is especially important for those who have an unhealthy liver. She must always have “material” to work with. You will have to give up fatty and sweet foods. If you find it difficult to avoid sweets, you can eat a couple of pieces of dark chocolate. You need to eat wholemeal black bread, durum wheat pasta, cereals - oatmeal and buckwheat, brown rice is very healthy. By the way, porridge with water normalizes metabolism and helps eliminate toxins. It is better to exclude fatty pork from the diet altogether, and eat poultry meat without skin, which contains too much fat. Oddly enough, the most dietary meat is duck. Dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese, natural yoghurts) are necessary for the body, but their fat content should be minimal - 0-1%. Cheese should have less than 45% fat. These are suluguni, cheeses such as edam, gouda, tilsiter, mozzarella. The latter contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, which promotes digestion. Butter should be replaced with vegetable oil. Moreover, it is worth diversifying it - if you cook with soy oil, season the salad with olive oil. Many endocrinologists recommend taking microcrystalline cellulose, which helps normalize the gastrointestinal tract - 3-5 tablets immediately before meals, and if you have problems with excess weight, then 8. It is necessary to take multivitamins with microelements.

Why are hot flashes characteristic of menopause?

During menopause, the level of estrogen, the female sex hormone, decreases markedly. This hormone is responsible for thermoregulation in the body, and these processes occur in a certain part of the brain called the hypothalamus. When there is not enough estrogen, significant disruptions occur in the heat exchange system: false signals are sent to the brain, so the blood vessels begin to dilate and sweat is released in large quantities, throwing you into the cold.

When the tide passes on its own, a signal is sent to the brain to cool the body, so immediately after the tide the woman begins to tremble. In terms of strength, the cold part of the tide can be as strong and prolonged as the hot part. During a cold flush, you may or may not sweat.

Stages of menopause

You should not think that menopause is a constant and stable state; several specific phases can be distinguished in it:

Perimenopause is a preparatory stage during which global hormonal changes begin. This phase of menopause is quite long, it begins several years before the last menstruation.
Menopause is the last period in a woman's life, as well as the period of time that follows it for about a year.
Postmenopause begins after menopause and continues until the end of life.

How to deal with chills during menopause?

When cold hot flashes occur, many women try to keep warm in every way possible, and, at first glance, this seems right.

But more often than not, such measures do not help, since it is necessary to fight not with the cold itself, but with hot flashes, which provoke this chill.

How can I do that?

Review your wardrobe. First of all, you need to give up things made from those fabrics that are not natural and do not allow the body to breathe. Such fabrics include, first of all, synthetics. Also try not to wear wool or silk at all. The choice should be made only in favor of natural fabrics: these include cotton and linen. Go to the store and buy types of clothing that will help you dress in layers. These are various jackets, cardigans, vests, ponchos, boleros, zip-up sweaters, button-down shirts. When you are dressed like this, it doesn’t cost anything to undress if you feel hot.
Try to always have a bottle of cool water with you; a few sips of it should help with hot flashes, when you feel hot and then cold.
The room in which you are staying for a long time needs to be ventilated as often as possible. Do you have the opportunity to purchase a fan or air conditioner? Amazing! Don't miss it. If at work you have problems with those people who are constantly blowing, then at least carry a fan with you.
Particular attention should be paid to the place where you sleep. Make sure your bedroom is well ventilated. What you sleep on is very important. Bed linen should also not be synthetic; give preference to those made from natural fabrics. At night, try not to wrap yourself in numerous blankets: buy yourself a blanket or a thin blanket for sleeping, or better yet a couple of them, so that if something happens you can open up a little.
Menopause is very difficult for those women who smoke a lot and drink alcohol, so try not to do this.
Try to plan your day so that you don’t have to rush anywhere and run around, getting very nervous. This will not lead to anything good, but will only provoke another surge.
Exercising has a beneficial effect on the body of any person, and a woman going through menopause is no exception. Add sports to your life. Ideally, this is a visit to the gym. If you don’t have the money for this, then you can practice at home: there are a lot of lessons online on yoga and other sports that are suitable for women during menopause.
Try to have as little fatty and fried food in your diet as possible, replace it with food of plant origin. Don’t forget about your drinking regime: drink as much water as possible.
Do not neglect vitamin complexes, but try not to overdo it, since hypervitaminosis is just as dangerous as vitamin deficiency. It would be best to go to the doctor and ask him to prescribe the appropriate vitamins for you.

How to treat menopause

Menopause is treated comprehensively and individually. Recommended:

avoid traumatic situations;
observe the work and rest schedule;
need psychotherapy;
autogenic training;
physiotherapy;
physiotherapeutic treatment;
diet;
acupuncture.

A woman is prescribed:

homeopathic medicines (klimadinon, klimaxan);
vitamins;
herbal sedatives;
according to indications - psychotropic drugs;
beta blockers;
parlodel;
neuroleptics;
potassium-containing drugs;
Hormone replacement therapy is indicated.

Treatment should be prescribed by a doctor who will take into account your psycho-emotional state and existing contraindications.