Put on pause
9 myths about menopause
Daria Shishkina, obstetrician-gynecologist, expert of the online medical service Sberbank
Menopause is attributed to many unpleasant symptoms: deterioration of well—being, weight changes, oncological diseases - but is it so? We are figuring out where the myth is and where the truth is.
First you need to decide on the terminology: menopause is the last menstruation. It usually occurs at 45-55 years, on average at 51 years. If there has been no menstruation for 12 months, then the last one is considered menopause. Postmenopause is the period after the last menstruation.
Does late menopause increase the risk of cancer?
Late menopause can partly affect the development of cancer. If it occurs at age 55 or later, there is a risk of developing breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. The diseases described above are considered hormone-dependent cancers, since female organs have been under the influence of estrogens for too long. And if menopause occurs at 45-50 years, there is no such dependence.
Does early menopause help to avoid problems with metabolic disorders and deterioration of well-being?
This is a myth. With the onset of menopause, a woman's hormonal system produces fewer and fewer estrogens. Its deficiency can provoke weight gain, as well as diseases of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.
In addition, many women have symptoms of menopause. Symptoms, as a rule, are different: slight irritability, mood swings, sweating. To help the body, consultation with a gynecologist is very important. The doctor will analyze the results of the tests and, if necessary, recommend a course of treatment.
Can the body be helped only by medication?
That's not so. At the onset of postmenopause, it is not necessary to take medications. First of all, you need a consultation with a gynecologist. Perhaps, in order to minimize the symptoms of postmenopause, the doctor will give recommendations about your lifestyle without prescribing medications. Therefore, before you buy medicines or vitamins, go through an examination.
Is the age of menopause determined genetically?
Genetic features can indeed be. The age of menopause can be roughly determined by how it happened in your family on the female line. An important point is that smoking partly affects the timing of menopause. In women who smoke, this process will begin, on average, 2 years earlier.
Is weight gain associated with menopause?
This is a complex phenomenon, but it is partly true. A decrease in estrogens provokes weight gain. However, it is important to remember that with age, there is less muscle mass in the body. In addition, many people after the age of 45 are less likely to exercise and lead an active lifestyle. At the same time, the amount of calories consumed is almost not reduced. These and other individual characteristics of the body can provoke weight gain after menopause.
Therefore, if a woman does not want to gain weight, it is recommended to continue to lead an active lifestyle, exercise under the supervision of a coach, adjust the amount of calories consumed together with a nutritionist.
Is hormone therapy safe and necessary for everyone?
This is a very individual story and requires monitoring by the attending physician. Yes, hormonal drugs are prescribed after menopause, but only for those who have symptoms of moderate to severe severity, without contraindications. It is important to know that hormones are prescribed if less than 10 years have passed since menopause or if a woman is under 60 years old.
If a specialist prescribes hormone therapy in compliance with all the conditions and characteristics of the body, it is safe. However, a woman needs to visit a gynecologist once a year in order to adjust her medication intake in time.
Are dietary supplements effective and safe, as well as hormone therapy?
The most famous — dietary supplements with phytoestrogens — position themselves as "natural estrogens". However, not all dietary supplements pass the appropriate checks and tests, so it is unsafe to prescribe them yourself.
In addition, uncorrected doses of estrogens can cause hormone-dependent cancer. Therefore, before you start taking any medications, you should definitely consult with a specialist.
Is urinary incontinence inevitable after menopause?
Incontinence is more often associated with weakness of the ligamentous apparatus of the uterus: due to changes in the hormonal background, after childbirth, due to heavy physical labor. Menopause only exacerbates existing problems. For prevention, women who are faced with such a problem are recommended to do Kegel exercises to train the pelvic floor muscles.
Does menopause cause memory problems?
Scientists have not yet found a link between menopause and memory. However, there are still biological prerequisites. Estrogens are involved in the development and aging of some parts of the brain, and a decrease in their activity in postmenopause can theoretically affect memory.
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