Samsun Menopause Care

Samsun Menopause TreatmentIt covers alleviating the complaints that arise with the end of ovarian function and managing long-term health risks.

Headlines such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and bone melting each require a different approach. The treatment plan is tailored to the individual by examination of the obstetrician and obstetrician.

Menopause is not a disease, but a natural period of life. However, this period does not occur in every woman with the same intensity. While some women complete this process without any apparent intimacy, others are severely affected by the woman's daily life being hot flashes and insomnia.

The decision to treat arises from this difference. The goal is not to treat everyone, but to give the right support to women whose grievances disrupt quality of life and who are at risk.

Prof. Dr. Aşkı Ellibeş Kaya, makes this assessment together with the story, examination and examinations deemed necessary.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is the permanent end of menstrual bleeding with the decrease in hormone production of the ovaries. The diagnosis is retroactive: if twelve months have passed since the last menstrual bleeding and there is no other cause, that date is considered menopause.

This process doesn't happen in a day. The ovarian function gradually decreases over the years, and this transition is examined over three separate periods. Knowing what period you are in allows you to both make sense of your complaints and make the treatment decision correctly.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is a period of transition to menopause and can begin years before the last menstruation. During this period, the ovaries continue to work but are irregularly functioning; hormone levels show up and down.

The most typical finding is the disruption of menstrual pattern, cycles can be shortened, extended, the amount of bleeding can change, and hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings often begin at this time as well.

There is one point that is often overlooked: pregnancy is still possible in perimenopause. If birth control is left because the periods are irregular, unwanted pregnancy may develop. The physician decides when the protection will be stopped.

Menopause

Menopause is the point where bleeding is permanently interrupted. For most women, this period is between the end of their forties and the beginning of their fifties; The exact age varies from person to person.

At this stage, estrogen levels have dropped significantly, with hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and sleep problems being the most frequently reported complaints. The severity and duration of the complaints vary greatly from woman to woman.

Postmenopausal (Postmenopausal Period)

Postmenopause covers all the years after menopause. Hot flashes tend to decrease over time; In contrast, the long-term effects of estrogen deficiency become apparent during this period.

Loss in bone density, increased risk of heart and vein, and urogenital complaints such as vaginal dryness are the main topics of this period. For this reason, postmenopausal is a period that requires regular follow-up, even if it is not a convergence.

How Old Does Menopause Begin?

Natural menopause occurs in most women between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five. Average values vary slightly from society to society; therefore, it is more accurate to mention an interval than a single number.

Genetics is the strongest factor determining the age of menopause. The age at which your mother and sisters go through menopause is also a guide for you. For this reason, the family story is always asked at the first meeting.

Smoking is the modifiable factor that can bring menopause forward for several years, with the most data on it. Ovarian surgeries, chemotherapy and pelvic radiotherapy also directly affect the age of menopause.

The cessation of menstruation before the age of forty is outside the natural course and must be investigated. This is not a table to self-transmit; There can be reasons to investigate under it.

Signs of Menopause

Symptoms of menopause are not limited to a single organ. Because estrogen affects many tissues in the body, complaints also occur in different systems when hormone levels drop.

The most well-known symptom is the hot press. It is usually described in the form of a sudden heat wave starting from the chest and neck and spreading to the face; it can be accompanied by sweating and palpitation. When nightfall occurs, it interrupts sleep and leads to daytime fatigue.

Changes in mood are also frequent. Nervousness, anxiety, reluctance and difficulty focusing are reported. These complaints are caused by both hormonal change and divisive sleep; Separating the two is important in the treatment plan.

• Hot flashes, night sweats and palpitations

• Difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently at night

• Disruption of menstrual pattern and cessation of bleeding

• Vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, reduction in sexual desire

• Frequent urination and recurrent urinary tract infection

• Fluctuation in mood, anxiety, difficulty focusing

• Joint and muscle pain, thinning of skin and hair

• Weight gain around the waist

It is not right to have all of these symptoms attached to menopause. Thyroid diseases, anemia, depression and sleep apnea can make similar complaints. Therefore, evaluation is done not only by age but by necessary examinations.

What Is Early Menopause? What Are The Causes?

The end of ovarian function before the age of forty is called premature ovarian failure. Menopause, which occurs between the ages of forty and forty-five, is defined as early menopause. Both require detailed evaluation.

The importance of early menopause is not only related to fertility. As the years without estrogen increase, the risk of bone melting and cardiovascular disease increases. Therefore, hormone support is often required in this group of patients.

Genetic Factors

One of the most common causes of early menopause is heredity, which increases risk if there is a history of early menopause in the family, with some chromosome differences and genetic syndromes also consuming ovarian reserve early.

Therefore, genetic evaluation can be raised in patients with menopause under the age of forty. The result may include information that concerns not only the patient but other women in the family.

Autoimmune Diseases

Diseases in which the immune system targets its own tissues can also affect the ovaries. Thyroid diseases, type 1 diabetes and adrenal gland diseases are the most common ones in this group.

Therefore, thyroid functions and other autoimmune markers deemed necessary are evaluated in the patient who is diagnosed with early menopause.If a concurrent disease is found, the treatment plan is expanded accordingly.

Surgical Interventions and Chemotherapy

Surgery of both ovaries starts menopause on the same day. This is called surgical menopause, and the complaints may begin more sudden, more severe than natural menopause.

Chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy applied to the pelvic area can also damage the ovarian reserve. Whether the effect will be permanent depends on the patient's age and the type of treatment being administered.

In young patients who are scheduled for cancer treatment, options to maintain fertility should be discussed before treatment begins. The time for this conversation is not post-treatment, but pre-treatment.

Smoking and Lifestyle

Cigarettes are the most important factor that predates the age of menopause, with the most data on them. The substances in it directly affect ovarian tissue and alter estrogen metabolism. The effect increases with the amount consumed.

With very low body weight, excessive and intense exercise, unbalanced diet can also disrupt hormonal pattern. Although these factors alone do not lead to menopause, they can accelerate the current trend.

How is Menopause Diagnosed?

Menopause is diagnosed in most women with clinical evaluation, not laboratory. Routine hormone testing is usually not required in a woman who has typical complaints over the age of forty-five and has had her periods discontinued.

Tests make more sense when the table is atypical. Examination is requested in patients under the age of forty, in women who have been uterinely removed, and in cases whose symptoms are mixed with other diseases.

Clinical Examination and Anamnase

The evaluation begins with a detailed story, which records the last menstrual history, cycle pattern, when complaints started and how much they affect everyday life.

Then a general and gynacological examination is performed. BP, weight and waist circumference are measured; breast examination and cervix screening are completed if not current. These steps form the safety foot of the treatment decision.

Hormone Tests and Blood Tests

The essential hormone that is looked after when deemed necessary is FSH. When ovarian function decreases, the level of this hormone rises. However, the only measurement can be misleading as values change from day to day in perimenopause; so it is repeated intermittently.

The estradiol level is assessed in conjunction with FSH. The AMH test, which shows the ovarian reserve, gives complementary information about the table, especially in young patients.

Thyroid hormones, prolactin and, if necessary, pregnancy test are requested for differential diagnosis. Also blood count, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and liver values can be looked at to see the general condition before treatment.

Evaluation by ultrasonography

Ultrasound is the most practical way to evaluate the uterus and ovaries. The thickness of the intrauterine layer is measured, the appearance of the ovaries and formations such as cysts or myomas if they exist are examined.

This examination is especially critical in patients with bleeding complaints. Every postmenopausal hemorrhage should be investigated without counting the natural part of menopause; ultrasound is the first step of this research.

What are the health problems that can be seen in menopause?

The effects of menopause are not limited to daily complaints. When the protective effect of estrogen on bone, vein and mucosa decreases, the risk rises for some health problems that develop over the years.

Bone melting is the quietest of these headings. Loss in bone density may not give symptoms for years, and is often noticed by the first fracture. Therefore, bone density measurement is recommended in women at risk.

Heart and vascular diseases also increase after menopause. Cholesterol balance changes, blood pressure tends to rise, and lubrication increases around the waist. These changes can be managed by regular follow-up.

Urogenital complaints, unlike others, do not spontaneously improve over time, but progress on the contrary. Vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, and recurrent urinary tract infections are the most common members of this group.

• Health issue: Relationship to menopause; What to do

• Bone melting: When estrogen decreases, bone loss accelerates; Bone density measurement, vitamin D, resistance exercise

• Heart and vascular disease: The balance of cholesterol and blood pressure varies; Annual blood pressure, blood sugar and lipid follow-up

• Urogenital complaints: Mocosa thins, moisture production decreases; Moisturizing, local treatment, physician evaluation

• Sleep disorder: Night sweat interrupts sleep; Sleep hygiene, treatment for complaints

• Weight and metabolic change: Increased lubrication around the waist; Nutritional order, regular physical activity

Treatment Methods in Menopause

There is no single treatment in menopause. The approach is determined based on the type, severity of the complaint and the patient's health history. While lifestyle adjustments may be sufficient in a woman with mild complaints, medication comes up in a woman whose daily life is disrupted.

It is especially important that the decision be made with the patient. The expected benefit and possible risk of each option are clearly described; The patient's priorities directly shape the plan.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone therapy is the most effective option in vasomotor complaints, such as hot flashes and night sweats. It also slows bone loss and provides significant relief in urogenital complaints.

In women whose uterus is in place, estrogen is not used alone; In order to protect the intrauterine layer, progesterone is necessarily added. In women who have received a uterus, estrogen can be administered alone.

The benefit and risk balance of treatment depends on the time it starts. The balance is mostly in the direction of benefit in the near term of menopause and in the treatment started before the age of sixty; The risk gains weight in treatment that begins at an advanced age.

In some cases, hormone therapy is not administered. Breast cancer history, past vascular congestion, active liver disease, stroke history and cause of unresearched vaginal bleeding are the main obstacles. Non-hormone options are evaluated in these patients.

Herbal and Alternative Treatments

Products such as soy isoflavones, red clover, and blackseed grass are often used for menopause complaints. The studies on the effectiveness of these products are contradictory; While some women report relief, many studies have shown no apparent superiority.

Being a vegetable does not mean being harmless. Some of these products can affect the liver and interact with the drugs you use. In women with a history of breast cancer, hormone-like products also require attention.

Therefore, you should not hide the supplements you are using from your physician. Telling which product you are taking for what purpose protects both your safety and the accuracy of the treatment plan.

Nutrition Arrangements and Supplements

Nutrition is one of the least talked about but most effective headings of menopause management, with calcium and vitamin D intake for bone health, enough protein consumption to maintain muscle mass.

Dairy products, green leafy vegetables, dry legumes and fatty fish form the basis of the plate during this period. Reducing refined sugar and processed foods contributes to both weight and blood sugar control.

Caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and hot drinks trigger hot flashes in some women. You may notice which food is the trigger in you by keeping a short diary.

The use of supplements is planned based on their blood value. Random and high levels of vitamin use do not benefit; It is decided by looking at the results of the examination which supplement is required.

Psychological Support and Therapy

Mental complaints during menopause are often underestimated. Whereas when sleep division, hormonal change and the life changes brought about by this period come together, anxiety and breakdown can become apparent.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to be beneficial in dealing with both sleep problems and hot flashes, and when deemed necessary, medication is also brought up and the relevant specialist makes this decision.

Treatments for Maintaining Bone Health

Bone protection is the long-term foot of menopause management. The first step is risk assessment: age, family history, broken history, smoking and body weight are discussed together.

Bone density measurement is the study that objectively demonstrates risk. According to the result, only lifestyle recommendations can be followed or bone-preserving medication can be started.

Walking, resistance exercises and balance studies are recommended to each patient regardless of medication. These exercises both strengthen the bone and prevent fractures by reducing the risk of falling.

What to Consider in the Postmenopausal Period

The postmenopausal period should not be a period in which the follow-up is relaxed as the complaints decrease. On the contrary, these years are the years in which regular checks benefit the most.

The most critical warning is related to bleeding. Every bleeding seen after menopause should be evaluated, no matter how small. This finding often depends on a benign cause, but cannot be passed without investigation.

Regular follow-up isn't just about gynecological control, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight tracking are also integral parts of this period. Problems are caught early when controls are not disrupted.

• Report every bleeding post-menopausal to your physician

• Maintain your annual gynaecological control and cervix scan

• Have a breast scan at appropriate intervals for your age

• Repeat bone density measurement as often as your physician recommends

• Don't let your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol follow up

• Do a few walks and resistance exercises a week.

• Quit smoking, limit alcohol

Conclusion

Samsun Menopause TreatmentThe correct approach is a person-specific plan that assesses the severity of the complaint, the patient's health history and long-term risks together.

Menopause is not a time to endure. If hot flashes, insomnia, or dryness are affecting your daily life, feel free to say it. You can contact our office for appointment and detailed information.