Menopause Health Article

KEY TERMS

Amenorrhea—The cessation of menstrual cycles.

Bilateral oophorectomy—The surgical removal of both ovaries.

Endometrium—The lining of the uterus, which is shed with each menstrual period.

Estrogen—Female hormone produced by the ovaries and released by the follicles as they mature. Responsible for female sexual characteristics, estrogen stimulates and triggers a response from at least 300 tissues, and may help some types of breast cancer to grow. After menopause, the production of the hormone gradually stops.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)—A treatment for menopause in which estrogen is given in pill, patch, or cream form.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)—The pituitary hormone that stimulates the ovary to mature egg capsules (follicles). It is linked with rising estrogen production throughout the cycle. An elevated FSH (above 40) indicates menopause.

Hormone—A chemical messenger secreted by a gland that is released into the blood, and that travels to distant cells where it exerts an effect.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—The use of estrogen and progesterone to replace hormones that the ovary no longer supplies.

Hot flash—A wave of heat that is one of the most common perimenopausal symptoms, triggered by the hypothalamus' response to estrogen withdrawal.

Hysterectomy—Surgical removal of the uterus.

Ovary—One of the two almond-shaped glands in the female reproductive system responsible for producing eggs and the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Ovulation—The monthly release of an egg from the ovary.

Pituitary gland—The "master gland" at the base of the brain that secretes a number of hormones responsible for growth, reproduction, and other activities. Pituitary hormones stimulate the ovaries to release estrogen and progesterone.

Progesterone—The hormone that is produced by the ovary after ovulation to prepare the uterine lining for a fertilized egg.

Testosterone—Male hormone produced by the testes and (in small amounts) in the ovaries. Testosterone is responsible for some masculine secondary sex characteristics such as growth of body hair and deepening voice.

Uterus—The female reproductive organ that contains and nourishes a fetus from implantation until birth. Also known as the womb.

Vagina—The tube-like passage from the vulva (a woman's external genital structures) to the cervix (the portion of the uterus that projects into the vagina).

BIOFEEDBACK. Some women have been able to control hot flashes through biofeedback, a painless technique that helps a person train her mind to control her body. A biofeedback machine provides information about body processes (such as heart rate) as the woman relaxes her body. Using this technique, it is possible to control the body's temperature, heart rate, and breathing.

Prognosis

Menopause is a natural condition of aging. Some women have no problems at all with menopause, while others notice significant unpleasant symptoms. A wide array of treatments, from natural products to hormone replacement, mean that no woman needs to suffer through this time of her life.

Health care team roles

Physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and alternative/complimentary health care practitioners assume important roles in a woman's successful transition into postmenopause. Since new research in menopause treatment is occurring every year, it will be the health care team's obligation to provide the woman with accurate options that are specific to her individual case. Referrals for counseling and other psychological services may be necessary if depression or anxiety about aging is a problem. Since the symptoms of perimenopause are not life-threatening, the health care team may be more willing to suggest alternative methods like herbal remedies, yoga, and acupressure, as well as lifestyle changes like exercise and a healthy diet. The goal of the health care team should be to normalize this transition as much as possible and not stigmatize it as a medical condition.

Prevention

Menopause is a natural part of the aging process and not a disease that needs to be prevented. A variety of treatments are available to treat uncomfortable perimenopausal symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy is often used to combat serious symptoms and prevent a number of degenerative diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

BOOKS

Corio, Laura E., and Linda G. Kahn. The Change Before the Change: Everything You Need to Know to Stay Healthy in the Decade before Menopause. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.

Lieberman, Shari. Get Off the Menopause Roller Coaster: Natural Solutions for Mood Swings, Hot Flashes, Fatigue, Anxiety, Depression, and Other Symptoms New York: Penguin Putnam, 2000.

Moore, Michele. The Only Menopause Guide You'll Need. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Posner, Trisha. This Is Not Your Mother's Menopause: One Woman's Natural Journey Through Change. New York: Villard, 2000.

PERIODICALS

"Alternatives for the Menopause." Chemist & Druggist (January 27, 2001): 23.

Minkin, Mary Jane, and Toby Hanlon. "Answers to Your Top Five Menopause Questions." Prevention 53, no. 1 (January 2001): 89.

Morris, Kelly. "U.S. Survey Finds that Race Matters." The Lancet 356, no. 9233 (September 9, 2000): 916.

Speroff, Leon. "Management of the Perimenopausal Transition." Contemporary OB/GYN 45, no. 10 (October 2000): 14.