Are You A Woman And Getting Older? Three Signs You You Have Menopause
If you are a woman and are getting older, you will start having health problems. One type of health problem is menopause. Menopause is something that happens to every woman and is something you cannot prevent no matter what you do. There is no set age for this as some woman may start menopause in their 40s but it generally happens when you are in your 50s. Below are three symptoms you will notice so you know when it is time to make an appointment with your doctor.
Hot Flashes
One of the first signs you will have with menopause is hot flashes. If this happens, you will feel a flush come over your body, especially in your facial area. Once this happens, you will break out in a sweat. This sweat could be bad enough to saturate your clothing, pillow, sheets, etc. Many times hot flashes happen at night, but you can also have them during the day.
The hot flashes are generally due to losing estrogen as you age. To help with this, your doctor will prescribe hormones to you. If you do not want to take hormones, there are natural treatments you can try.
Changes in Mood
You may also notice that your moods change, such as you are much more short-tempered than you have ever been. You may also get stressed out much quicker, feel fatigue, and get depressed because of these changes.
Taking estrogen will help with this, and your doctor may also prescribe you an antidepressant for a short time. It may take time to find the right type of antidepressant that will help you feel better as there are many different types available.
Painful Sex
Painful sex is common with menopause because the lining of your uterus thins out and then becomes very dry. This prevents you from becoming moist and will feel a lot of pain when you start having sex. There are creams you can purchase over the counter to help with this. In many cases, however, these creams will not help enough to prevent all pain.
Your doctor can prescribe you a vaginal cream that is much stronger than over-the-counter creams. This is because these creams have estrogen, so over time, the cream will help build up the walls of your vagina and then cause the walls to become moist again. This cream comes with a vaginal insert that you fill with a certain amount of the medicine. Your doctor will tell you how much cream you need to put into the applicator.
There are also pills that you can put into your vagina, which are inserted the same way as the cream. There is also an estrogen ring the doctor can place into your vagina. The ring releases estrogen a little at a time and will have to be replaced by the doctor every few months.
Talk to your doctor about this information, and they can give you many more details. Get in touch with your local OB-GYN office, such as Johnson City Ob-Gyn.