Concepts of Menopause Discussion Paper

Concepts of Menopause Discussion Paper

Concepts of Menopause Discussion Paper

Menopause is the phase that brings a woman’s menstrual cycle to an end. It’s diagnosed after a woman has gone twelve months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen from the age of 40s or 50s of a woman’s life. The years prior to that point are the menopausal transition or perimenopause (Minkin,2019). While the change of the menopause period in women may vary in terms of age and biological variations, menopause is a natural biological, developmental process. The purpose of the essay seeks to discuss the concepts of menopause and the misconceptions of it being a medical ailment versus a natural developmental process. In addition, it will underscore clinical presentation and symptoms, risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapies, and management strategies to assist patients in the management of menopausal symptoms.

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The Concepts of Menopause

The concepts of menopause underscore the incapacity of the follicular endowment in the ovary as the biological basis for the occurrence of menopause in women. Before menopause, exists clinical reproductive stages which clinically influence menopausal change. Studies also suggest that menopause globally begins in the fiftieth year of a woman’s life (Flores et al., 2021). But there is no exact prediction of the age for menopause. However, other variables are at play, e.g., the high socio-economic conditions and the hormonal background of the individual may prolong the age of menopause.

The Misconception of Menopause as a Medical Ailment                The misconception of menopause as a medical ailment in women is not medically supported. Studies show that menopause is not a disease or a disorder but a natural developmental process. Menopause is the phase in a woman’s menstruation stoppage,  often full of other transitions and physical ones. As a woman go through perimenopause, their body’s production of estrogen and progesterone, critical female hormones, fluctuates (Prasad, 2019).

Many of the changes they experience during perimenopause result from decreasing estrogen. Menopause results from loss of ovarian sensitivity to gonadotropin stimulation, which is directly related to follicular attrition. The oocytes in the ovaries undergo atresia throughout a woman’s life cycle, resulting in a decline in the quantity and the quality of follicles. Hence, menopause is characterized by deficient serum levels of estradiol. The estradiol deficiency leads to hot flashes caused by instability of vasomotor tone (Prasad, 2019).

Clinical Presentation and Symptoms Associated with Menopause

Women experience the menopause transition as a natural developmental process. The clinical presentation and symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, mood swings, mild depression, or irritability. Similarly, the symptoms may comprise dry skin, dry eyes or dry mouth, and vasomotor symptoms for which women seek treatment during menopause. Vasomotor is a form of temperature dysfunction that occurs due to transitions in gonadal hormones (Kagan et al., 2019).

The Risks and Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapies

Hormone therapy aids women in getting through menopause. For instance, estrogen therapy can help decrease the risk of certain health conditions, including osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and mood changes. Moreover, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) effectively relieves vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal atrophy and prevents. However, known health risks include increased risk of endometrial cancer, digestive system problems, risk of fractures, and cardiovascular diseases (D’Alonzo et al., 2019).

Management Strategies to Assist Patients with the management of their menopausal symptoms.

            Management strategies for assisting patients with menopausal symptoms include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They have the benefits of easing symptoms of moderate to severe depression (Palacios et al., 2019). The risks include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, headache, drowsiness, insomnia and nervousness, agitation, or restlessness.

            Women having natural menopause and have intact uterus can manage the symptoms through hormone replacement therapy. The benefits include the estrogen and progestogen that are efficient in reducing frequent hot flashes and night sweats (Palacios et al., 2019). However, the side effects may include hip and vertebral fractures, urinary incontinence, stroke, blood clots, and cardiovascular-related ailments. The third strategy for managing menopausal symptoms is changing individual lifestyle, e.g., quitting smoking, which can cause hot flashes. Similarly, keeping the body weight at a healthy level and eating a heart-healthy diet will help manage (Biglia et al., 2019). There are no known risks in having a healthy lifestyle with moderation.

Conclusion

The concepts of menopause underscore the debility of the follicular endowment in the ovary as the biological basis for the occurrence of menopause in women. Menopause is not a disease or disorder but a natural developmental process. The clinical presentation and symptoms of menopause include insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, mood swings, mild depression, or irritability. The menopausal symptoms can be managed both medical and naturally by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

References

Biglia, N., Bounous, V. E., De Seta, F., Lello, S., Nappi, R. E., & Paoletti, A. M. (2019). Non-hormonal strategies for managing menopausal symptoms in cancer survivors: an update. ecancermedicalscience, 13. https://dx.doi.org/10.3332%2Fecancer.2019.909

D’Alonzo, M., Bounous, V. E., Villa, M., & Biglia, N. (2019). Current evidence of the oncological benefit-risk profile of hormone replacement therapy. Medicine, 55(9), 573. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55090573

Flores, V. A., Pal, L., & Manson, J. E. (2021). Hormone Therapy in Menopause: Concepts, Controversies, and Approach to Treatment. Endocrine Reviews, 42(6), 720-752. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnab011

Kagan, R., Kellogg-Spadt, S., & Parish, S. J. (2019). Practical treatment considerations in the management of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Drugs & Aging, 36(10), 897-908. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-019-00700-w

Minkin, M. J. (2019). Menopause: Hormones, lifestyle, and optimizing aging. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, 46(3), 501-514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2019.04.008

Prasad, U. Assessment of menopausal symptoms in study group: A clinical study. https://doi.org/10.33545/gynae.2019.v3.i1d.31.

Palacios, S., Stevenson, J. C., Schaudig, K., Lukasiewicz, M., & Graziottin, A. (2019). Hormone therapy for first-line management of menopausal symptoms: Practical recommendations. Women’s Health, 15, 1745506519864009. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1745506519864009

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For this assignment, address the following:

Discuss the concepts of menopause
Discuss the misconception of menopause being a medical ailment vs a natural developmental process
Discuss the clinical presentation and symptoms associated with menopause
Discuss the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapies
Present 3 additional management strategies to assist your patients with management of their menopausal symptoms. Be sure to incorporate the risks/benefits of these management strategies