How can a Cool Gelmat help with Menopause Symptoms?

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Menopause Information

Q. What conditions can affect the timing of menopause?

Certain medical and surgical conditions can influence the timing of menopause.

Surgical removal of the ovaries

The surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) in an ovulating woman will result in an immediate menopause, sometimes termed a surgical menopause In this case, there is no perimenopause, and after surgery, a woman will generally experience the signs and symptoms of menopause. In cases of surgical menopause, women often report that the abrupt onset of menopausal symptoms results in particularly severe symptoms, but this is not always the case.

The ovaries are often removed together with the removal of the uterus. If a hysterectomy is performed without removal of both ovaries in a woman who has not yet reached menopause, the remaining ovary or ovaries are still capable of normal hormone production. While a woman cannot menstruate after the uterus is removed by a hysterectomy, the ovaries themselves can continue to produce hormones up until the normal time when menopause would naturally occur. At this time a woman could experience the other symptoms of menopause like hot flushes and mood swings. These symptoms would then not be associated with the cessation of menstruation. Another possibility is that ovarian failure will occur earlier than the expected time of menopause, as early as 1-2 years following the hysterectomy. If this happens, a woman may or may not experience symptoms of menopause.

Cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy

Depending upon the type and location of the cancer and its treatment, these types of cancer therapy can result in menopause if given to an ovulating woman. In this case, the symptoms of menopause may begin during the cancer treatment or may develop in the months following the treatment.

Premature ovarian failure

Premature ovarian failure is defined as the occurrence of menopause before the age of 40. This condition occurs in about 1% of all women. The cause of premature ovarian failure is not fully understood, but it may be related to autoimmune diseases or inherited (genetic) factors.

Q. Do men also go through menopause?

The important "sex hormone" for men is testosterone. Men reach their peak of testosterone around the age of 18 and then decline slowly at an average of 1% per year there after. In some men, this level of testosterone may fall significantly enough to produce symptoms. It may occur as early as age 35 but is usually more often seen in men over 50. Symptoms include low sex drive, weak erections, low energy, irritability and moodiness, muscle loss, low motivation.

Diagnosis can be made by doing a blood test for testosterone level. Low testosterone can be treated by supplementing the hormone. Results can be quite dramatic.

Q. Do all women experience the same symptoms of menopause?

Not all women experience symptoms of menopause. Some women make the transition without any symptoms at all. On the other hand, some women have severe symptoms that interfere significantly with their quality of life. Although there are a variety of symptoms related to the hormonal changes of menopause, I generally use the frequency and severity of hot flushes as an indicator of the "degree" of menopause. I refer to menopause as being mild, moderate or severe depending on the number of hot flushes and night sweats per 24 hour period. Although it doesn't include all types of menopause presentations, it is a useful tool to monitor progress on treatment.

For some women, symptoms may be skin or vaginal dryness only; others may have low mood and irritability; and others have generalised aches and pains and/or low sex drive. Many women have all of these to deal with. It seems like it all comes down to "luck" but there are likely to be genetic, dietry, social and environmental influences.

Q. At what age should I expect to be menopausal?

The average age of onset for the symptoms of menopause is between 48 and 52 years old. However it can start at a much younger age or it may pass unnoticed until your late 50's. Most commonly women present with symptoms from age 45 onwards. Women who present with symptoms under the age of 40 may have premature ovarian failure. Early onset of menopause is often common within a family i.e. your mother or your sister also started having menopause symptoms at an early age. Women who start menopause at an earlier age are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis later on in life.

Q. I am getting headaches at the same time each month. Are they hormonal?

Cyclical headaches, occuring around about the same time each month, are often related to your cyclical hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Most women experience them as their period approaches each month. At this stage in the menstrual cycle, the estrogen levels may be high relative to your progesterone levels. This I refer to as "estrogen dominance". How to treat: Many women respond very well to progesterone supplementation, taken either throughout the cycle (except those days of menstruation) or for the 2nd two weeks of the cycle leading up to the menstrual period. It has the potential of preventing these headaches altogether. Caution: If the headaches persist, further investigation may be required.

Q. How long does menopause last and how long will I be on treatment?

Menopause lasts, on average, approximately 5 years. However this could be a lot shorter but could also be a lot longer. It is normal for women to remain on a treatment program from anywhere between 6 months and five years and some women may require treatment beyond five years.

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