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Yes, Every Woman’s Menopause Experience Is Different

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Menopause
is a life-changing event. It is not a disease. Nonetheless, all the available
medical research confirms that menopause may be associated with specific
symptoms. But contrary to popular opinion, the number and variety of direct,
true and genuine hormone-related effects are less than generally assumed.

In
previous blogs I have gone to great length to explain what the real symptoms
may be, and how each woman may sense and react differently to her awareness of
these symptoms.

The
following classification of perimenopausal symptoms summarizes current thought
and, being practical, is easily related to a woman’s understanding of what is
happening and in what direction to look for help:

1.
SPECIFIC: TRUE HORMONE-RELATED SYMPTOMS

EARLY
Menstrual cycle changes

Hot
flashes, perspiration

LATER Related to the change in the body part affected
such as osteoporotic
fractures causing backache, vaginal thinning causing pain with intercourse

 

2.
NON-SPECIFIC:
PSYCHO-SOCIO-CULTURAL SYMPTOMS

Determined by the woman’s environment and
the structure of her character such as depression, headache, apprehension, or
irritability.

The
great news is that through recognition of the derivation or background to
symptom development, a far clearer path toward dealing with these problems can
be taken. There are many effective treatments. The challenge has always been to
match the right treatment to the appropriate problem. Now the light has
brightened at the end of the tunnel.

This
clearly means that some form of hormone therapy best treats symptoms directly
related to the hormonal changes. I will address this area of tremendous fear,
confusion, and misinformation in weeks to come.

Indeed,
watch this blog because over the next few weeks some very different advice on
hormone therapy is coming from major medical organizations, and I will explain
the meaning of these new guidelines.

 

Understanding
the derivation of symptoms also means that a woman must be certain that her
symptoms are related to menopause and not the result of some other medical
problem that has arrived by coincidence at the same time. Any
non-hormone-related problems must be treated with their own specific therapies.

The
options, risks and benefits of the various therapies have become quite clear,
surprisingly so considering the confusion that remains in the minds of women
and their clinicians. Stay posted – in my coming blogs I will address the
hormone therapy debate head on, explain clearly the pros and cons, the best
treatment choices, when to avoid hormones, and what the best alternates might
be.

Have
a great week.

Wulf
Utian MD PhD DSc

Author;
CHANGE YOUR MENOPAUSE – Why one size does not fit all.
http://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Menopause-size-does/dp/0982845723/

WHO IS WULF UTIAN?

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The views and opinions expressed by Perspectives contributors are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of the American Nurses Association, the Editorial Advisory Board members, or the Publisher, Editors and staff of American Nurse Journal. These are opinion pieces and are not peer reviewed.

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