Empowering Women's Health: Insights from a Gynecologist
Based on the text provided, there is not enough information to extract a list of pertinent terms related to the keyword “climacter.” The text mentions that it lacks the necessary content to generate a relevant summary or extract specific keywords.
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– Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 58, with an average age of 51.
– Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause and can last for 4 to 8 years.
– Smoking and genetics can influence the timing of natural menopause.
– Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause, lasting 1 to 5 minutes and often accompanied by a cold chill.
– Night sweats, hot flashes at night, can disrupt sleep.
– Treatments for hot flashes and night sweats include lifestyle changes, nonprescription remedies, hormone therapy, and nonhormonal prescription drugs.
– Estrogen decline during menopause can lead to vaginal atrophy, resulting in dryness and thinning of vaginal tissues.
– Over-the-counter lubricants and moisturizers can alleviate pain during intercourse.
– For severe symptoms, low-dose vaginal estrogen products may be necessary.
– Perimenopausal syndrome occurs when a woman has missed her period for 12 consecutive months with no other causes.
– Each woman’s experience of menopause is unique, with some experiencing no physical changes during perimenopause and others having symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal changes.
– Severity of body changes during perimenopause varies, but they are generally considered natural and normal.
– Perimenopause begins in a woman’s 40s or even earlier and involves fluctuating estrogen levels, leading to irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and bladder problems.
– Treatments are available to alleviate these symptoms.
– Once a woman has gone through 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, she has officially reached menopause.
– Decreased estrogen levels during perimenopause can lead to loss of tissue tone, making women more vulnerable to urinary or vaginal infections and contributing to urinary incontinence.
– Low estrogen levels can cause painful intercourse due to vaginal tissues losing lubrication and elasticity.
– Fertility decreases during perimenopause, but pregnancy is still possible until no periods occur for 12 months.
– Sexual arousal and desire may change during perimenopause, but previous satisfactory sexual intimacy is likely to continue.
– Declining estrogen levels increase the risk of osteoporosis as bone loss outpaces replacement.
– Cholesterol levels change during perimenopause, with an increase in “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and a decrease in “good” cholesterol (HDL), increasing the risk of heart disease.
– Women experiencing disruptive symptoms during perimenopause should seek evaluation and management from a doctor.
Here is the revised list pertinent to the keyword ‘climacteric period’:
– The climacteric period refers to the midlife transition when fertility declines.
– Men may experience a reduction in their ability to reproduce during the climacteric period.
– Women lose their ability to reproduce once they reach menopause.
– Perimenopause is a period of transition in which a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs and the production of estrogen and progesterone decreases.
– Menopause is defined as 12 months without menstruation, and the average age is around 51.
– Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause are caused by decreased production of estrogen and progesterone.
– Symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, thinning of the vaginal wall, decreased bone mass leading to osteoporosis, depression, irritability, and weight gain.
– Concerns about hormone replacement therapy have led to a decrease in its prescription for menopausal women.
– Hormone replacement therapy has been associated with breast cancer, stroke, and the development of other conditions.
– Most women do not have severe enough symptoms to warrant estrogen or hormone replacement therapy.
– Other treatment options include lower doses of estrogen, frequent exams, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, eating soy, remaining sexually active, practicing relaxation techniques, and using water-based lubricants.
– Studies have found that menopausal symptoms vary greatly across countries, regions, and ethnic groups.
– White women were more likely to report symptoms of depression, irritability, forgetfulness, and headaches compared to other racial/ethnic groups.
– African American women experienced more night sweats, but this varied across research sites.
– Chinese and Japanese American women reported fewer menopausal symptoms compared to women in other groups.
– Cultural influences play a role in how menopause is experienced.
– Some cultures do not have specific words for menopausal symptoms, and women in these cultures may not experience certain symptoms.
– Women in different cultures have differing perceptions of menopause, with some viewing it as a loss and others as a liberating experience.
– In India, 94% of women welcomed menopause as they gained status and no longer had to follow menstrual restrictions.
– Erectile dysfunction (ED) becomes more common in middle adulthood.
– Intermittent ED affects as many as 50% of men between 40 and 70 years old.
– Approximately 30 million men in the United States experience chronic ED.
– Causes for ED include medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, alcoholism, and atherosclerosis.
– Plaque build-up in the arteries can restrict blood flow and cause ED.
– Diseases account for 70% of chronic ED, while psychological factors account for 10%-20%.
– Prostate enlargement and deficient testosterone levels are common in middle adulthood.
– Low testosterone levels can cause symptoms such as low sex drive, ED, fatigue, loss of muscle, loss of body hair, or breast enlargement.
– Low testosterone is associated with medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and testicular cancer.
– Supplemental testosterone effectiveness is mixed, and long term replacement therapy can increase the risk of prostate cancer, blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
– Most men with low testosterone do not have related problems.
– Estrogen is a chemical messenger that plays a role in reproductive health for women or DFAB (designated female at birth)
– During puberty, estrogen levels rise and lead to the development of secondary sex characteristics
– Estrogen, along with other hormones, plays a role in the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and preparing the uterus for pregnancy
– Estrogen peaks during the days leading up to ovulation, making it the most fertile period for women
– Estrogen thins cervical mucus, making it easier for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg
– Estrogen keeps vaginal walls thick, elastic, and lubricated, reducing pain during sex
– During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen levels drop, leading to symptoms such as vaginal dryness, mood changes, and hot flashes
– Estrogen also affects the reproductive health of men or AMAB individuals, impacting sex drive, erectile function, and sperm production
– Too much or too little estrogen in AMAB individuals can lead to issues such as low sex drive, infertility, and gynecomastia
– Estrogen also has non-reproductive functions, regulating processes in the skeletal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems that impact overall health.
– Low estrogen can delay puberty, slow or prevent sexual development, and cause symptoms such as painful sex, lower sexual desire, and hot flashes in perimenopause and menopause.
– Menopause and postmenopause result in the ovaries no longer producing estrogen, with fat cells taking over production.
– Removal or injury to the ovaries can also result in lower estrogen levels.
– People assigned male at birth (AMAB) with low estrogen may experience sexual dysfunction, belly fat, reduced sex drive, bone loss, and osteoporosis.
– For transgender women or nonbinary people with penises, low estrogen levels may affect physical appearance, and feminizing hormone therapy with estrogen may be an option. The article discusses the effects of estrogen hormone on physical features in individuals, including softer facial features, less body hair, and the development of breasts and hips.
– The main function of progesterone is to prepare the endometrium for a fertilized egg to implant and grow.
– Progesterone thickens the uterine lining and creates a good environment for a fertilized egg to implant.
– If no pregnancy occurs, progesterone levels decrease, causing the uterine lining to thin and break down, leading to menstruation.
– Progesterone helps support the early stages of pregnancy by thickening the uterine lining and preventing ovulation.
– Progesterone also suppresses uterine contractions and helps prepare the breasts for breastfeeding.
– Progesterone levels increase each trimester during pregnancy, reaching their highest level in the third trimester.
– Progesterone levels decline leading up to menopause, when ovulation stops.
– Low progesterone levels may make it difficult to conceive and increase the risk of miscarriage.
– Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is medication that contains female hormones used to replace estrogen during menopause.
– It is primarily used to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal discomfort.
– HRT has been proven to prevent bone loss and reduce fractures in postmenopausal women.
– There are risks associated with HRT, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer.
– There are two main types of HRT: estrogen-only therapy (ET) and a combination of estrogen and progestin therapy (EPT).
– ET is recommended for women who have had a hysterectomy, while EPT is recommended for women with an intact uterus.
– HRT can be administered in several forms, including pills, patches, creams, gels, and injections.
– The optimal dosage, duration, and route of administration of HRT should be individualized for each woman based on her symptoms, medical history, and risk factors.
– Regular follow-up care and screenings, such as mammograms and pelvic exams, are important for monitoring the benefits and risks of HRT.
– Making healthy lifestyle choices, including exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, managing stress, and managing chronic health conditions, is recommended alongside HRT.
– Nonhormonal approaches, such as keeping cool, limiting caffeine and alcohol, and using relaxation techniques, can help manage hot flashes.
– There are nonhormonal prescription medications, vaginal moisturizers/lubricants, and a prescription medication called ospemifene (Osphena) that may help with menopausal symptoms.
– Individual symptoms and health risks should be discussed with a doctor to determine if HRT is a suitable treatment option.
– Regular conversations with a doctor are important as recommendations for menopausal treatments may change over time.