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What’s menopause?

Women past a certain age will experiencemenopause。更年期定义为一年没有月经期。您体验到的年龄可能会有所不同，但通常发生在40年代末或50年代初。

Menopause can cause many changes in your body. The symptoms are the result of a decreased production of estrogen and progesterone in your ovaries. Symptoms may includehot flashes，体重增加或阴道干燥。Vaginal atrophy导致阴道干燥。因此，阴道组织可能会有炎症和变薄，从而增加了不舒服的性交。

Menopause can also increase your risk for certain conditions likeosteoporosis。You may find that getting through menopause requires little medical attention. Or you may decide you need to discuss symptoms and treatment options with a doctor.

Keep reading to learn about the 11 things every woman should know about menopause.

The average age for onset of menopause is 51. The majority of women stop having periods somewhere between ages 45 to 55. The beginning stages of declining ovary function can start years before that in some women. Others will continue to have menstrual periods into their late 50s.

The age of menopause is 认为 to be genetically determined, but things such as smoking or chemotherapy can accelerate ovary decline, resulting in earlier menopause.

Perimenopause refers to the period of time right before menopause begins.

During perimenopause, your body is beginning the transition into menopause. That means that hormone production from your ovaries is beginning to decline. You may begin to experience some symptoms commonly associated with menopause, like hot flashes. Your menstrual cycle may become irregular, but it won’t cease during the perimenopause stage.

Once you completely stop having a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months, you’ve entered menopause.

About75 percentof women experience hot flashes during menopause, making them the most common symptom experienced by menopausal women. Hot flashes can occur during the day or at night. Some women may also experience muscle and joint pain, known as亚属，或情绪波动。

可能很难确定这些症状是由激素，生活环境还是衰老过程本身引起的。

During ahot flash，您可能会感到自己的体温升高。热闪光会影响身体的上半部分，皮肤甚至可能变成红色或变成斑点。这种热潮可能导致出汗，心pal和头晕的感觉。热潮后，您可能会感到冷。

热闪烁may come on daily or even multiple times a day. You may experience them over the course of a year or even several years.

Avoiding triggers may reduce the number of hot flashes you experience. These can include:

  • consuming alcohol or caffeine
  • 吃辛辣的食物
  • feeling stressed
  • 在热点

Being overweight and smoking may also make hot flashes worse.

A few techniques may help reduce your hot flashes and their symptoms:

  • Dress in layers to help with hot flashes, and use a fan in your home or office space.
  • 在热闪光期间进行呼吸练习，以使其最小化。

诸如避孕药，激素治疗甚至其他处方等药物可能有助于您减少潮热。如果您很难自己管理潮热，请去看医生。

预防热闪光

  • Avoid triggers like spicy foods, caffeine, or alcohol. Smoking may also make hot flashes worse.
  • Dress in layers.
  • Use a fan at work or in your home to help cool you down.
  • 与您的医生谈谈可能有助于减轻热闪光症状的药物。

雌激素的下降会影响生产amount of calcium in your bones. This can cause significant decreases in bone density, leading to a condition known asosteoporosis。它还可以使您更容易受到髋关节，脊柱和其他骨折的影响。在上一时期的头几年，许多妇女经历了加速骨质流失。

To keep your bones healthy:

  • 吃含有大量钙的食物，例如乳制品或深层叶蔬菜。
  • Take vitamin D supplements.
  • Exercise regularly and include weight training in your exercise routine.
  • Reduce alcohol consumption.
  • Avoid smoking.

您可能想与医生讨论处方药，以防止骨质流失。

更年期期间可能会出现与您心脏有关的状况，例如头晕或心脏pal。雌激素水平降低可以防止您的身体保持柔性动脉。这会影响血流。

看着自己的体重，吃健康，平衡的饮食，运动以及不吸烟可以减少发展心脏病的机会。

激素水平的变化可能会导致您体重增加。但是，衰老也会导致体重增加。

Focus on maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and practicing other healthy habits to help control your weight. Being overweight can increase your risk forheart disease,diabetes和其他条件。

Weight management

  • Focus on a healthy lifestyle to manage your weight.
  • Eat a well-rounded diet that includes increasing calcium and reducing sugar intake.
  • Engage in 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes a week of more intense exercise, such as running.
  • Don’t forget to include strength exercises in your routine as well.

The symptoms of menopause vary from one woman to another, even in the same families. The age and rate of decline of ovary function differ tremendously. This means you’ll need to manage your menopause individually. What worked for your mother or best friend may not work for you.

如果您对更年期有任何疑问，请与您的医生交谈。它们可以帮助您理解症状，并找到管理它们与生活方式一起工作的方法。

If your uterus was surgically removed through ahysterectomy，除非您经历了潮热，否则您可能不知道自己会经历更年期。

如果您有一个子宫内膜消融and your ovaries weren’t removed. Endometrial ablation is the removal of the lining of your uterus as treatment for heavy menstruation.

If you aren’t having any symptoms, a blood test can determine if your ovaries are still functioning. This test can be used to help doctors find out your estrogen level, which may be beneficial if you’re at risk of osteoporosis. That’s because knowing your estrogen status may be important in determining whether you need a bone density assessment.

Several hormone therapies are FDA-approved for treatment of hot flashes and prevention of bone loss. The benefits and risks vary depending on the severity of your hot flashes and bone loss, and your health. These therapies may not be right for you. Talk to your doctor before trying any hormone therapies.

激素疗法可能不是您的正确选择。某些医疗状况可能会阻止您安全地使用激素疗法，或者您可能会出于自己的个人原因选择不使用这种治疗形式。改变生活方式可能会帮助您缓解许多症状，而无需荷尔蒙干预。

生活方式的改变可能包括：

  • weight loss
  • 锻炼
  • 室温降低
  • avoidance of foods that aggravate symptoms
  • 穿着浅棉衣服和穿着层

Other treatments such as herbal therapies, self-hypnosis, acupuncture, certain low-dose antidepressants, and other medications may be helpful in decreasing hot flashes.

Several FDA-approved medications can be used for prevention of bone loss. These may include:

  • bisphosphonates, such as risedronate (Actonel, Atelvia) and zoledronic acid (Reclast)
  • selective estrogen receptor modulators like raloxifene (Evista)
  • calcitonin (Fortical, Miacalcin)
  • denosumab (Prolia, Xgeva)
  • parathyroid hormone, such as teriparatide (Forteo)
  • certain estrogen products

您可能会发现非处方润滑剂，雌激素面霜, or other products help with vaginal dryness.

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle. It’s a time when your estrogen and progesterone levels decrease. 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.

如果您遇到影响您的功能能力的不良症状，或者发现可能需要更仔细的观察，则应联系医生。有很多治疗选择可以帮助炎热闪光等症状。

Check in with your doctor during regular gynecological exams as you experience menopause.