GYNAECOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Menopause

The menopause is the time in life when a women stops having periods. The periods stop because the ovaries stop producing the normal amounts of oestrogen and progesterone hormones. For many people the menopause is uneventful and without adverse symptoms. On average in the Western world, the menopause occurs at the age of 51. Some women have a series of different symptoms at the time of the menopause that leads them to seek help and treatment.

Short term symptoms

Hot flushes and night sweats are very common at the time of the menopause. These can occur at any time and be debilitating. Mood swings, irritability and loss of concentration are also recognised symptoms of the menopause. In addition, the skin of the vagina and the supporting tissues of the pelvis become thinner and weaker at the time of the menopause and very often cause some discomfort and minor infections. Women often describe a decrease in libido (sex drive) as well.

Long term complications

Osteoporosis is the commonest long term complication of the menopause. A lack of estrogen causes the bones to thin slowly. This process is called Osteoporosis and over many years increases the chances of a bone fracture. Severe cases of Osteoporosis can result in spinal problems and a decrease in height or in hip fractures with minimal trauma. The instance of coronary heart disease and strokes is much lower in women before the age of the menopause. However, after the menopause the incidents of coronary heart disease increases significantly.

A simple blood test can be performed to determine whether a women’s ovaries have stopped working. Hormone Replacement Therapy comes in many different forms and can be taken by tablet or stuck on the skin in the form of a patch or absorbed by rubbing in a gel or by sniffing a nasal spray or sometimes by inserting a small implant. Over recent years the arguments for and against HRT have become very complex.