[Printer-friendly version -- PDF file, 140 Kb]
What is menopause?
What are the symptoms of menopause?
I will be having a hysterectomy to remove both my uterus and my ovaries, and I am only 37. Will I go into menopause?
What is premature menopause?
What is postmenopause?
I've reached menopause, but I still have been feeling so depressed and irritable. I'm just not myself. Will these feelings ever go away?
I've reached menopause and haven't had my period for a few years now. But, the other day I had some bleeding off and on. Should I be concerned?
Who needs treatment for the symptoms of menopause?
What are the benefits and risks of hormone therapy?
So, what have we learned about taking hormone therapy for menopause?
What about natural treatments for menopause?
How else can I help my symptoms?
How can I stay healthy as I age?
Do you have a tool I can use to track my symptoms?
See Also
Menopause is a normal change in a woman’s life when her period stops. That’s why some people call menopause “the change of life.” During menopause a woman’s body slowly makes less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This often happens between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row (and there are no other causes for this change). As you near menopause you may have symptoms from the changes your body is making. Many women wonder if these changes are normal, and many are confused about how to treat their symptoms. You can feel better by learning all you can about menopause, and talking with your doctor about your health and your symptoms. If you want to treat your symptoms, he or she can teach you more about your options and help you make the best treatment choices.
Every woman’s period will stop at menopause. Some women may not have any other symptoms. But, as you near menopause, you may have:
Sometimes, younger women need a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries) to treat health problems such as endometriosis or cancer. After your surgery, you will enter into what is known as induced or surgical menopause. This is menopause that happens to your body right away, and it is brought on by the surgery. You will no longer have periods. Since your ovaries will be removed, you may have many menopausal symptoms right away, instead of gradually. You can talk with your doctor about how to best manage these symptoms.
Women who have a hysterectomy, but have their ovaries left in place, will not have induced menopause because their ovaries will continue to make hormones. But, because their uterus is removed, they no longer have their periods and they cannot bear children. They also might have hot flashes since the surgery can sometimes disturb the blood supply to the ovaries. Later on, they also might have natural menopause a year or two earlier than expected.
Premature menopause is menopause that happens before the age of 40 — whether it is natural or induced. Some women have premature menopause because of:
Having premature menopause puts a woman at more risk for osteoporosis later in her life. It also may be a source of great distress, since many women younger than 40 still want to have children. Women who still want to become pregnant can talk with their doctor about donor egg programs.
The term postmenopause refers to all the years beyond menopause. It is the period past the time at which you have not had a period for 12 months in a row — whether your menopause was natural or induced.
Many women in perimenopause and menopause feel depressed and irritable. Some researchers believe that the decrease in estrogen triggers changes in your brain, causing depression. Others think that other symptoms you're having, such as sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue cause these feelings. Or, it could be a combination of hormone changes and symptoms. But these symptoms also can have causes that are unrelated to menopause. If you are having these symptoms, and you think they are interfering with your quality of life, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. Talk openly with your doctor about the other things going on in your life that might be adding to your feelings. Other things that could cause depression and/or anxiety include:
If you need treatment for these symptoms, you and your doctor can work together to find a treatment that is best for you.
Changes in bleeding are normal as you near menopause. There are also other common causes of bleeding in the years after menopause. The decline in your body's estrogen levels can cause tissues lining the vagina to become thin, dry, and less elastic. Sometimes this lining can become broken or easily inflamed and bleed. It can also become injured during sex or even during a pelvic exam. Once you've reached menopause, though, you should report any bleeding that you have to your doctor. Uterine bleeding after menopause could be a sign of other health problems. Other things that can cause abnormal bleeding include:
For some women, many of their menopause symptoms will go away over time without treatment. Other women will choose treatment for their symptoms and to prevent bone loss that can happen near menopause. Treatments may include prescription drugs that contain types of hormones that your ovaries stop making around the time of menopause. Hormone therapy can contain estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin (for a woman who still has her uterus or womb). Estrogen therapy usually is taken by pill, skin patch, as a cream or gel, or with an intrauterine device (IUD) or vaginal ring. How estrogen is taken can depend on its purpose. For instance, a vaginal ring or cream can ease vaginal dryness, leakage of urine, or vaginal or urinary infections, but does not relieve hot flashes. If you want to prevent bone loss, you also should talk with your doctor about medicines other than hormone therapy that can help your bones.
Benefits: Hormone therapy can help with menopause by:
DO NOT use hormone therapy to prevent heart attacks, strokes, memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease. Remember there also are other medicines that can help your bones.
Risks: For some women, hormone therapy may increase their chance of getting:
For a woman with a uterus, taking estrogen alone, without progesterone, increases her chance of getting endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). Adding progesterone to the hormone therapy lowers this risk.
Hormone therapy also may cause these side effects:
Who should NOT take hormone therapy for menopause:
Women who…
We know that hormone therapy may be a way to get over the symptoms of menopause if taken for only a short time and in the smallest amount. Hormones do NOT help prevent heart or bone disease, stroke, memory loss or Alzheimer's disease. If you decide to use hormones, use them at the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. Check with your doctor every 3 to 6 months to see if you still need them. Because there are both benefits and risks linked to taking them, every woman should think about these in regard to her own health and discuss these issues with her doctor. We are still trying to learn more about the long- and short-term effects of hormone therapies on women's health. For more information on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy, go to http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/women/index.htm.
Some women decide to take herbal, natural, or plant-based products to help their symptoms. Some of the most common ones are:
Products that come from plants may sound like they are more natural or safer than other forms of hormones, but there is no proof they really are. There also is no proof that they are better at helping symptoms of menopause. Make sure to discuss herbal products with your doctor before taking them. You also should tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, since some of the herbal products can be harmful to you with other drugs.
There are a lot of ways to stay healthy during this time in your life. These steps are more likely to keep you healthy than just taking hormones:
You can use this chart to keep track of menopausal symptoms that bother you. Take it with you when you visit your doctor, so you both can figure out the best way to handle them.
Date |
Symptoms |
Things I’ve tried to help them |
Questions for my doctor |
New things to try |
For more information on menopause and hormones, call the National Women’s Health Information Center at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH, HHS
Phone: (800) 222-2225
Internet Address: http://www.nih.gov/nia
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Phone: (888) 463-6332
Internet Address: www.fda.gov/womens/menopause
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Phone: (202) 638-5577
Internet Address: http://www.acog.org
American Menopause Foundation (AMF)
Phone: (212) 714-2398
Internet Address: http://www.americanmenopause.org
North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
Phone: (440) 442-7550
Internet Address: http://www.menopause.org
The Hormone Foundation
Phone: (800) 467-6663
Internet Address: http://www.hormone.org
August 2004
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Site Index | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | FOIA | Accessibility
Contact NWHIC
or call 1-800-994-WOMAN
NWHIC is a service of
the
U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services'
Office
on Women's Health