Postmenopause - the period that begins at menopause and continues until the end of a woman's life. It is believed that menopause when menstruation since the last twelve months have passed - then a woman comes into the postmenopausal period.

In most cases, the symptoms of menopause Symptoms of menopause: forewarned is forearmed   after the start of menopause are much less pronounced, and some of them disappear altogether. However, some women may still occur menopausal hot flushes The treatment of menopausal hot flashes - medication plus a healthy lifestyle   and other problems specific to premenopausal Premenopausal women - one step in a woman's life .

It is almost impossible to predict at what age a woman has come postmenopause; This usually occurs in women older than 45 and younger than 60 years, but there are exceptions. Postmenopause may occur much earlier than the average due to factors such as surgery, obesity and severe stress.

Surveys postmenopausal

The easiest way to determine that a woman came postmenopause - calculate how many months have passed since her last menstrual period. If she does not remember when was the last menstrual period, it can be assigned to a blood test for follicle-stimulating hormone. This hormone plays a key role in maintaining a regular menstrual cycle, and changing its level may indicate that menopause has occurred. Sometimes women who have not had menstruation, it is recommended to do a pregnancy test. The probability of getting pregnant during menopause is small, but still it remains until the beginning of menopause.

Postmenopausal women should also be screened to determine the bone density to detect osteoporosis, or to assess the likelihood of developing this disorder.

Symptoms of menopause

Many women say that after the beginning of menopause being greatly improved in terms of both physical and psychological health. This is due to the fact that the hormonal background is relatively stable compared with menopause. At the same time, a significant proportion of women, there are some (or all) of the following symptoms of menopause.

• Vaginal discharge. Unusual discharge - more dense or liquid than before, with unusual color or texture - can be a symptom of atrophic vaginitis, and which may cause symptoms such as vaginal dryness and itching. All of this - the normal age-related changes. To the doctor should contact only if the discharge has a very strong smell, and if the dryness of the vagina is impossible to cope with special ointments.
• Weight gain - one of the most common symptoms of menopause. Many women's weight increases of 5-10 kilograms, despite the fact that they do not change their diet and lifestyle in general. The main reason for this are the hormonal changes - the body reacts to the decline in estrogen levels that begins to lay more fat, trying to raise the level of this essential hormone (adipose tissue produces it in small quantities). Sometimes weight gain in postmenopausal can contribute and psychological factors such as depression and severe stress.
• Stress urinary incontinence. According to some experts, 40% of postmenopausal women suffer from stress urinary incontinence - disorder in which a person loses control over urination during almost any exertion, even such as laughing, coughing, or sneezing. Estrogen helps to keep the muscles in the bladder healthy and strong, so the decrease in estrogen levels the probability of developing stress urinary incontinence is quite high. To deal with incontinence, it is recommended to perform Kegel exercises - they strengthen the pelvic muscles of the day, improving control over urination.
• Infections of the urinary tract. Another consequence of the reduced level of estrogen Estrogen - the key to bone health   postmenopausal is an increased risk of urinary tract infections. Estrogen is necessary to maintain a certain level of acidity of the vagina; when this hormone is not enough, create favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria that cause infections. Typically, these infections are not dangerous, and is easily treatable with antibiotics.
• Insomnia. Some women began during menopause insomnia persists in post-menopausal. In most cases, it can be managed with the help of a simple and safe means as chamomile tea, warm milk, systematic exercise, as well as a thorough airing of the bedroom before going to bed.

How to ease the symptoms of menopause

Hormone replacement therapy - one of the most common types of medications that are used to relieve symptoms of menopause. It normalizes the levels of female hormones and eliminate symptoms associated with hormonal changes. However, while such therapy increases the likelihood of heart disease, blood clots, as well as cancers of the breast, ovaries, and endometrium.

In some cases, women may be recommended herbs that contain phytoestrogens - substances of plant origin, properties similar to estrogen. The best-known sources of phytoestrogens are black cohosh and ginseng. With prolonged use of these plants can cause the body begins to produce less estrogen, so taking them is recommended only for a short period.

The safest way to relieving the symptoms of menopause is a change in lifestyle: regular exercise, proper diet and avoiding harmful habits. The results will appear immediately, but they will be stable and thus the risk of many dangerous diseases, not only did not rise, but, over time, may begin to decline.

  It is known that aging and weight gain are interconnected. Women tend to gain weight in a very important period of life, but in menopause weight gain is inevitable. Menopause or menopause - a period of cessation of ovulation and menstruation in women. Women over forty years, it is difficult to lose weight and it is difficult to maintain a normal weight. Weight gained during menopause and after it, it is very difficult to lose. Most often, this weight is concentrated in the abdomen and thighs.

Weight gain during menopause is most often due to the following factors:

• The sharp decline in estrogen levels Estrogen - the key to bone health
• Lack of regular exercise
• A significant reduction in muscle mass
• Unhealthy lifestyle and nutrition.

Most women (at least 2/3) aged 35 - 55 years, significantly gain weight in premenopausal period (the period prior to menopause). Weight gained at this time, it is difficult to lose, although it can be controlled. It is also shown that weight gain after menopause increases the likelihood of breast cancer. Studies show that weight gain of more than 10 kilograms can increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, and losing weight after menopause can reduce this risk. Regular exercise and proper balanced diet can help control weight and maintain it at an acceptable level.

Before menopause gain weight is evenly distributed throughout the body: thighs, buttocks, arms and stomach, and the weight gained during menopause, is deposited mainly in the abdomen, causing the figure taking shape of an apple. Such sudden weight gain in the abdominal area can lead to cardiovascular disease.

Reasons for weight gain

Weight gain in women of menopausal age can not fully explain the hormonal changes that occur in a woman's body during this period, although the hormones are indeed a major factor annoying changes that affect a woman's body. Changing the shape of the body is directly related to lifestyle and aging. Thus, weight gain during menopause is caused by such factors:

• Overeating: the consumption of a large amount of unnecessary calories that are not burned, necessarily lead to weight gain.
• Insulin resistance: some women develop age resistance to insulin, which causes the body to reserve calories and burn them.
• Psychological factors: chronic stress, chronic fatigue Chronic fatigue - if life is not a pleasant experience   and increased anxiety Anxiety - how to distinguish normal from disease?   - That the culprits of weight gain during menopause. These factors cause psychological disorder of body functions, resulting in a feeling of hunger (often false) that, in turn, leads to weight gain.
• Ageing: the aging of the body's muscle mass decreases and the fat layer increases. Therefore, slowing the process of burning calories, but it would reduce muscle mass are not able to burn the same amount of calories as before.
• Sedentary lifestyle: with age the body's need for calories for energy decreases. All the extra calories turn into fat, which gradually replaces the muscle. As mentioned, fat burning fewer calories than muscle. Therefore slowed metabolism, which in turn leads to weight gain. The lack of physical activity: in menopause women are less involved in sports than before, and therefore recover stronger.
• Hereditary factors can also cause weight gain during menopause.
• Hormonal imbalance or deficiency of hormones, this factor can affect the body's resistance to insulin, which promotes the accumulation of excess fat (and thus all the extra calories turn into fat).
• Thyroid disease: weight gain during menopause is associated with thyroid disease or disorder of her work.
• Slow metabolism: slow metabolism, coupled with the lack of physical activity, combined with aging may lead to weight gain during menopause.

Avoiding weight gain

Unfortunately, weight gain - an integral part of aging. However, this process can be controlled as follows:

• Maintain an active lifestyle, exercise;
• Diet;
• Take a course of hormone replacement therapy, which helps to maintain hormonal balance, which means - a healthy weight.
• Reduce intake of fatty foods. Limit intake of saturated fat; consume "useful" fats of vegetable origin (e.g., nuts, olive oil, peanut oil, etc.).
• Reduce the consumption of high-calorie food. Remember that with age, we need fewer calories, so you should eat rationally. However, the sharp drop in the number of calories as harmful to health, as in this case, the body begins to store energy, and it will be harder to lose weight.
• Do sport. Try to do aerobic exercises that speed up metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting That helps to burn extra calories. Strength training is also beneficial because they increase muscle mass and also speed up the metabolism.
• Start early. Regular exercise should be initiated is not fifty years, but much earlier, in thirty years. At the same time should pass to a balanced diet. This will help to get used to this way of life and facilitate the restructuring of the body during menopause.
• Include in the diet of more fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, and so on. If possible, choose low-fat sauces and salad dressing, boiled chicken, tuna fillets and other fish. Limit the consumption of pork, hamburgers, pasta, potatoes and fast food.
• Drink more water and reduce consumption of carbonated drinks, and drinks containing caffeine.

Premenopausal and weight gain

The term "premenopausal" refers to the period prior to menopause. At this time in a woman's hormonal changes occur, which subsequently leads to the appearance of symptoms of menopause. These changes are manifested in age from 35 to 60 years and last from two to six years. During this period, women begin to rapidly and without apparent reason, gain weight, even if you follow a strict diet.

Methods of weight control (diet, exercise, starvation) that women used before in this period ineffective. Weight gain in the abdomen - common in premenopausal. Fluctuating hormone levels, lower estrogen levels, the accumulation of fat cells - these are just some of the factors that contribute to this unfortunate phenomenon.