Menopause
Menopause OverviewMenopause, the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is not a disease or an illness. It is a transition between two phases of a woman's life. Many women experience a variety of symptoms as a result of the hormonal changes associated with the transition through menopause. Around the time of menopause, women often lose bone density and their blood cholesterol levels may worsen, increasing their risk of heart disease. Premature menopause: The average age of US women at the time of menopause is 51 years. The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered to be premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence.
Perimenopause: The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a three to five year period called the perimenopause. During this transition, women may begin to experience menopausal symptoms and may lose bone density, even though they are still menstruating. Surgical menopause: Surgical menopause is menopause induced by the removal of the ovaries. Women who have had surgical menopause often have a sudden and severe onset of the symptoms of menopause. Next: Menopause Causes » Viewer Comments & ReviewsMenopause - Symptoms ExperiencedThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:
What symptoms did you experience with approaching menopause? |
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRIPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
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Menopause
Urologic Dysfunction After Menopause »
Urologic Dysfunction After Menopause Overview
Urologic conditions that can occur around the time a woman goes through menopause include bladder control problems, bladder prolapse (descent of the bladder into the vagina), and urinary tract infections. The level of estrogen in a woman's body decreases during menopause. The role this hormone plays in urologic dysfunction continues to be studied. While some researchers have found that estrogen loss may influence a woman's urologic function, the evidence is in no way conclusive, and other factors, such as the effects of childbirth on the body, have not been discounted.
The good news for women is that a variety of treatments exist for all 3 conditions, and women with urologic dysfunction can find relief and improved quality of life by seeking qualified medical care.
Urologic Dysfunction After Menopause Causes
Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections ar...
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Menopause »
Menopause is a universal and irreversible part of the overall aging process involving a woman's reproductive system, after which she no longer menstruates.
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