Is This Menopause? - Hystersisters Article

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Is This Menopause?

Is This Menopause?

Date : 04-12-2003 - 04:25 PM - Readers : 9132

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Is This Menopause? I wonder if the hot flashes and the night sweats I am having means I'm in menopause. It seems my memory is terrible too! Am I in menopause?

Around the age of 44, averaging about seven years before menopause actually arrives, you will notice some things changing with your menstrual period. Most women notice little changes if any.

Age can be a factor while the average age of menopause for an American woman is 51 but this can really happen any where between mid-forties to late fifties. There are some ways to tell if you are approaching menopause or if you are there.

Dig out a calendar and chart your cycles.Write down your symptoms that you wonder about. Its a great tool to take to see your doctor on your next visit.

Hot flashes? Heavier periods? Night sweats? Lighter periods? PMS when you've never had many problems with PMS before or your PMS is suddenly much worse, you are probably in periomenopause.

Have you noticed a change in your periods? Are they becoming erratic? The ovaries begin changing as they age and hormone production becomes a roller coaster sometimes.

Are your menstrual cycles shorts? When the ovaries produce less and less estrogen, the time between your periods is shortened sometimes. With estrogen levels lessened, there is less uterine lining to shed so you will have lighter bleeding suring your period.

Are you missing periods completely? When little to no estrogen is produced, the uterine lining doesn't thicken and need to bleed, so you may miss a period or miss several periods for several months.

If your ovaries have slowed down with progesterone levels, you may have heavier menstrual flow. If you are not ovulating, there's no progesteone to balance and oppose the estrogen levels, so estrogen continues to stimulate the growth of the uterine lining.

Of course, check with your doctor about any of these symptoms especially prolonged bleeding. This could be a signal of a health problem. See your doctor if your bleeding is extremely heavy and prolonged and occurs between periods or during intercourse or begins after menopause (you haven't had a period in about a year).

A doctor should investigate any abnormal bleeding. This can be done through one of several tests:

Endometrial biopsy: a small sample of uterine tissue is removed and examined under a microscope
Dilatation and curettage, or D&C: the uterine lining is removed through scraping and suction.
Hysteroscopy: the uterus is viewed through a tiny telescope inserted into the vagina and through the cervix.
Transvaginal ultrasound: a probe is inserted inside the vagina and sonogram images are taken.

Generally speaking, a woman is said to be in menopause when she has not a period for a year.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.

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