Menopause Flashcards
Define and describe perimenopause/climacteric
- The time in which a woman has irregular cycles of ovulation and menstruation leading up to menopause and continuing until 12 months after her final period.
- Usually begins in the 40s, but may start as early as the late 30s
What are some of the symptoms of perimenopause?
Not not women experience symptoms to the same degree
- Hot flashes,
- Night sweats,
- Weight gain
- Mood changes e.g. depression
- Vaginal dryness,
- Vaginal pain, and pain with sexual intercourse and breast pain
- Irregular menses
- Irregular bleeding - intermenstrual bleeding, postmenstrual bleeding, some periods may be abnormally heavy (menorrhagia)
- Headaches
How long can the symptoms of the perimenopause phase and menopause last upto ?
Symptoms may begin up to 6 years before the final menstrual period and continue for a variable number of years after the final menstrual period
Do women only recieve treatment of symptoms in menopause or do they also recieve treatment in the perimenopause phase if requried ?
The also recieve treatment for symptoms in the perimenopause phase if required so when talking about a treatments for certain symptoms I am talking about both in perimenopasue too although mainly menopause
Define menopause
A biological stage in a woman’s life that occurs when she stops menstruating and reaches the end of her natural reproductive life. Usually it is defined as having occurred when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months
What causes the changes to occur in a women following menopause ?
The changes associated with menopause occur when the ovaries stop maturing eggs and secreting oestrogen and progesterone.
What is the average age for menopause to occur ?
51
What is defined as early menopause ?
Menopause occuring between 40-45yrs
Define premature ovarian failure also known as premature menopause
Menopause occurring before the age of 40 years
In general what are the causes of premature menopause ?
Natrually occuring or as a result of medical or surgical treatment.
Define late menopause
Menopause occuring >54yrs
Describe the physiology of menopause
As both the number and quality of egg cells in the ovaries decrease, the response of the ovaries declines, estrogen levels fall and levels of the hormones from the pituitary gland, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinising Hormone (LH) rise.
What are the effects of oestrogen ?
- Maintains female secondary sexual characteristics and glands e.g. breasts
- Hair distribution, body shape & fat distribution
- Effect on collagen
- Stimulates bone and muscle growth
- Stimulates endometrial thickening
- decreases cholestrol - helps prevent CVD
What are some of the bad effects of having oestrogen ?
- Oestrogen increases the chances of thromboembolitic disease (hence pill etc increses chances of clot)
- Increases the chances of breast cancer and endometrial (uterine cancer)
What are some of the problems whcih arise due to menopause and not having oestrogen now ?
- Increased CVD risk
- Atrophy of oestrogen dependant tissues e.g. genitalia, breasts & skin - vaginal dryness can be a result of this
- Osteoporosis