I’ve suddenly started experiencing heat and dryness

From your narration, at the age of 49 years, one could say you are already beginning to experience signs of menopause. It is described as “the change of life,” or simply “the change” which means the permanent cessation of the monthly menstrual period.What are the “symptoms” of approaching menopause?Although the average woman will go through […]

From your narration, at the age of 49 years, one could say you are already beginning to experience signs of menopause. It is described as “the change of life,” or simply “the change” which means the permanent cessation of the monthly menstrual period.
What are the “symptoms” of approaching menopause?
Although the average woman will go through menopause at the age of 51, the normal range of ages at which menopause may occurs extends from 42 to 58. If a woman younger than 40 undergoes menopause naturally, she is said to be experiencing premature menopause. Women who undergo premature menopause should be carefully evaluated by a clinician to make sure that there is no disease underlying the changes.
For 5 to 10 years before menstrual periods actually cease, the body begins to undergo various neuro-endocrine and ovarian changes leading up to menopause. This period is called the peri-menopausal transition. For reasons still little understood, it is marked by changes in the menstrual cycle: shorter periods, irregular periods, heavy menstrual flow, or a combination of all three, differing from month to month. Because many peri-menopausal women are still ovulating (releasing an egg from the ovary) despite irregular periods, contraception is possible until menses have stopped for at least one year.
During the peri-menopausal period there is a gradual decline in the production of estrogen hormones by the ovaries. This decline accelerates as menopause approaches. As a result, changes occur in the many bodily tissues that are responsive to estrogen, including the vagina, vulva, uterus, bladder, urethra, breasts, bones, heart, blood vessels, brain, skin, hair and mucous membranes.
Perhaps the most common of the symptoms associated with estrogen loss-affecting approximately 75 percent of women having a natural menopause and 90 percent of those having a surgical menopause-are “hot flashes”. Technically, a hot flash is the subjective feeling of warmth that a woman feels before there is any measurable change in her temperature. This is followed by the hot flush, a physiologically measurable change marked by visible redness and sometimes sweating in the chest, neck, and face.
Hot flushes are more common at night than in the daytime. These night sweats are often severe enough to interfere with sleep, and they seem to account for a good deal of insomnia among menopausal women. It is likely that many of the negative attributes once chalked up to menopause itself-mood swings, irritability, depression, fatigue-can be traced to the sleep disturbances caused by night sweats.
How is menopause “treated”?
It is good to see a clinician after periods have stopped for 6 to 12 months. At this point, the clinician will probably discuss the association between menopause and the risk of developing certain chronic diseases such as osteoporosis.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) helps women in coping with the condition, however those with personal history of breast or uterine cancer, active liver disease, or active thrombophlebitis (vein disorder) are adviced to use the therapy. Also, menopause is an excellent time to reassess exercise, good nutrition, and health care patterns with an eye to preventing chronic diseases and also not stopping women from exploring their sexuality, engaging and enjoying sexual intercourse with the help of lubricants such as K Y Jelly.