Treatment Options for Menopause Symptoms

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Do you know what is menopause? and the treatment of menopause.

Menopause Symptoms Treatment

Menopause treatment is complex and it needs to be adjusted according to the needs of each patient. The treatment of each symptom, in particular, is the general approach, unless there is a very substantial manifestation that justifies hormone replacement therapy. The goal is always to improve women’s quality of life.

How are Vaginal Dryness and Pain During Intercourse Treated?

Local treatments are of choice to improve vaginal dryness. There is a range of options suited for each need. The two options, hormonal and non-hormonal, can be combined for better results.

Diagnóstico de menopausia
  • Hormonal: It consists of the administration of local estrogens in the vagina by using vaginal creams, pills, or rings. These mechanisms release local estrogens that help increase the thickness of the vaginal mucosa with the consequent increase in lubrication. They have a very low systemic absorption, hence they are safe and do not represent a significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer.
  • Non-hormonal: Different products not containing estrogen are used locally to help with lubrication and improve symptoms.
    • Lubricants: Water-based lubricants tend to dry the mucosa because they evaporate and hence, do not prevent friction during sexual intercourse. The most helpful lubricants are those that are oily, such as liquid or solid petroleum jelly, these do not suffer any evaporation process and tend to have a long duration. Their disadvantage is that they make genital hygiene harder.
    • Vulvo-vaginal moisturizers: There are water and oil-based components. Water-based ones usually have hyaluronic acid. They are water-based and tend to stick to the vaginal walls. There are gels containing Gotu Kola which have re-epithelializing and healing properties. This can help relieve dryness symptoms. There are oil-based moisturizers such as vitamin E, bardana, and almond oil. They tend to stay on longer.

How are hot flashes treated?

There are hormonal and non-hormonal treatments. Hormonal treatments are generally the most effective ones. However, some women cannot use hormones or hormone products because of other conditions. Symptom treatment will be chosen according to the needs of each case in particular.

  • Non-hormonal methods:
    • Pollen by-products: They are relatively new compounds. They are natural drugs extracted from pollen but processed in a particular way so they can be used by patients allergic to pollen. The highest efficacy they can offer is around 40-50%, turning into a new alternative that can also improve other perimenopausal symptoms.
    • Antidepressants: There is a subgroup of antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors that have been proven to be 60% effective in the control of hot flashes because they modulate the vasomotor response at lower doses than the ones used to treat depression.
  • Hormonal: Hormone replacement therapy will be prescribed to those women not responsive to non-hormonal methods or those who present disabling hot flashes.
  • Phytoestrogens: They are isoflavones or plant-based estrogens. They are potentially safe, even though their efficacy is of a maximum of 30-40%. They must be avoided in women with breast cancer because they are a source of estrogen.

How is insomnia treated?

First of all, measures of “sleep hygiene” need to be implemented: having light dinners, reducing carbohydrate and fat intake at night, not consuming alcohol at night, having early dinners so proper digestion takes place before going to bed, avoiding caffeine at night, not watching TV until late hours of the night, taking a bath before going to bed, not exercising in the afternoon/night. Once all of these measures are adopted, different medications can be administered. These drugs must be taken under medical supervision.

How is Weight Gain Managed During Menopause?

Adaptation to a new stage of life needs to take place and that includes a modification of eating habits. Each stage of a woman’s life needs a particular diet. Physical activity cannot be dismissed. You can get help from a nutrition specialist.

How is the Loss of Libido Managed During Menopause?

It is a symptom that is difficult to treat because it is also linked to the body changes that each woman goes through. The partner’s support is vital in this new stage. The only treatment with proven efficacy is hormone replacement therapy. Even then, some women do not achieve improvement in this aspect of their life.

How are Emotional Changes Treated During Menopause?

The healthcare professional must decide if the woman needs some type of psychological support and if she will need medication. This aspect must have multidisciplinary management since it offers better results.

What to do when there is more than one symptom?

In women with more significant perimenopausal symptoms and with more than one of them, hormone replacement therapy can be beneficial. The goal is to give a hormonal input because the ovaries have ceased producing estrogen and progestin. There are various hormone replacement regimens, different medications, and routes of administration that will be chosen based on the patient’s characteristics. We aim for the lowest possible dose that achieves the greatest results. They must not be prescribed for more than 5 years.

What are the risks of hormone replacement therapy?

Like any other medication, hormone replacement therapy carries some risks. Many studies suggest that the administration of this type of treatment can increase the incidence of breast cancer. Women who still have their uterus and in whom only progestin is administered without estrogen, have a higher incidence of endometrial cancer. Some women can experience abnormal uterine bleeding that should not present with this type of treatment.

More Information:

Spanish Association for the study of menopause

North American Menopause Society

 

Responsible sexual and reproductive health

Densitometry

Osteoporosis treatment

Mamo/eco.

How is vaginal dryness and pain with intercourse treated?

To combat vaginal dryness, local treatments are chosen. There are different options based on each need. The two options, hormonal and non-hormonal, can be combined for best results.

Diagnóstico de menopausia

Frequently Asked Questions About Menopause

FAQ Menopause in Spain.

What happens to women after menopause?

Decrease in breast tissue. Decreased desire (libido) and sexual response. Increased risk of bone loss (osteoporosis) Urinary system changes, such as frequency and urgency to urinate and increased risk of urinary tract infection.

What is the period after menopause called?

Perimenopause means “around menopause” and refers to the time during which the body makes the natural transition to menopause marking the end of the reproductive years. Perimenopause is also called the menopausal transition.

What vitamins are good for menopause?

On Women’s Health: Nutrition During Perimenopause and Menopause

  • Vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is essential for supporting bone and heart health1. …
  • Vitamin D/Calcium. …
  • Omega 3. …
  • B vitamins…
  • Iron. …
  • Phytoestrogens.
  • Fitoestrógenos.

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