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Menopause

Description

An in-depth report on the treatment of menopause-related symptoms.

Alternative Names

Estrogen; Hormone replacement therapy

Symptoms

The most prominent symptoms of the transition to menopause include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats . Women often experience hot flashes as an intense build-up in body heat, followed by sweating and chills. Some women report accompanying anxiety as the sensation builds. In most cases hot flashes resolve within 2 years of menopause, although in some women they may persist for years. Women who have a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) are less likely to experience hot flashes than women who have a natural menopause. However, women who have surgical removal of both ovaries, and who do not receive hormone replacement therapy, may have more severe hot flashes than women who enter menopause naturally.
• Heart pounding or racing can occur, with or without hot flashes.
• Difficulty sleeping . Insomnia is common during perimenopause. It may be caused by the hot flashes or it may be an independent symptom of hormonal changes.
• Mood changes . Mood changes are most likely to be a combination of sleeplessness, hormonal swings, and psychologic factors as a woman undergoes this intense passage in her life. Once a woman has reached a menopausal state, however, depression is no more common than before, and women with a history of premenstrual depression often experience significant mood improvement.
• Sexuality . Sexual responsiveness tends to decline in most women after menopause, although other aspects of sexual function, including interest, frequency, and vaginal dryness vary. It is useful to remember that the symptoms of menopause eventually go away.
• Forgetfulness . This appears to be one of the few symptoms that are common across most cultural and ethnic groups.
• Urine leakage .
• Vaginal dryness .
• Joint stiffness .

Women from different ethnic and or cultural groups report different menopausal symptoms. For example, in one study hot flashes occurred in about 30% of Caucasians and 45% of African Americans. Hispanic women tended to complain of urine leakage, vaginal dryness, and heart pounding. Japanese and Chinese women experienced far fewer menopausal symptoms, except for forgetfulness. All groups complained about this symptom.

• Review Date: 6/11/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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