Dealing with ‘Menopause’

Dr. Vimee Bindra is a Gynecologist and Consultant at Apollo Group of Hospital. She is also a prolific writer and has authored two well-known medical books. She has also won several awards and medals for different academic contributions.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Vimee Bindra, Gynecologist and consultant at Apollo Group of Hospital has briefly discussed symptoms, effects, causes, home remedies and ways to treat Menopause in women

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle. It’s a time when your estrogen and progesterone levels decrease. Every woman past a certain age experiences menopause which is defined as absence of menstrual period for a year. The age you experience it can vary, but it typically occurs in your late 40’s or early 50’s. Following menopause, your risk for certain conditions like osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease may increase.

To manage your symptoms, maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise to avoid unnecessary weight gain. Menopause can cause many changes in your body. Symptoms at may include hot flashes, weight gain, or vaginal dryness. You may find that getting through menopause requires little medical attention. It is important to keep a regular check and discuss symptoms and treatment options with a doctor

“Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It's diagnosed after you have gone 12 months without a menstrual period. It can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51. It is a permanent physician of the period.

Menopause happens when the ovaries no longer release an egg every month and menstruation stops. It is considered a normal part of aging. But some women can go through menopause early, either as a result of surgery, such as hysterectomy or damage to the ovaries from chemotherapy.”

Symptoms

Not all women are symptomatic. There are no symptoms as such, some women have very smooth menopause and they have no periods for one year. But some women do come to us with concerns like mood swings, anger, hot flushes, irritability and bone pain.

Premenopausal Phase

It starts with irregular periods, sometimes they may get periods in short span of time and some may not have it for months. This may happen for a year or two before they completely stop.

Post-menopause

Postmenopausal women are at increased risk for a number of health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease. It is recommended they consult a doctor for necessary lifestyle changes, increased intake of vitamins and other required treatments.

Home remedies that can help

Firstly the women who are going through menopause must start doing yoga, meditation, or some kind of exercise to stay fit. Secondly, try to have a stress-free life and keep yourself busy.

How do you help your patients?

Many women come to us for the treatment, the first thing we do is to try and comfort them as they undergo difficulties like mood swings, anger, irritation etc. So, we counsel them, give medication and also suggest their families and loved ones to be more kind and show little more love and care towards them.

When women come to us we do not directly enroll them for hormone therapy, we just offer them some natural products which helps them with their natural estrogen. It reduces the anxiety levels and their symptoms but if it does not work, we then put them on hormone replacement therapy.

How to treat this medical problem?

The medical treatment mostly depends on the family history of the individual. It is important to know if anyone from their family has gone through breast cancer or uterine cancer. Special attention and care has to be taken of their heart and bones, so we advise them bone densitometry and also give them vitamin tablets depending on what their body needs the most.

“The most basic thing to do is mentally prepare yourself at a young age for menopause, being aware of this condition is most important. Lead a healthy lifestyle, start exercising today so you can have a healthy life tomorrow, and most importantly be stress-free.” Says Bindra

By Vandana Sharma