Vaginal Dryness and Menopause
One of the most common menopause symptoms is vaginal dryness. It often occurs quickly and without warning in perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women. It affects more than 80% of women just entering menopause and continues to affect up to 50% of those completing menopause. If you haven’t experienced it, menopausal vaginal dryness may seem like a minor annoyance, but in reality it can be quite devastating. Vaginal dryness can ruin sexual intercourse for some menopausal women and leave behind feelings of inadequacy and guilt. Fortunately, effective treatments are now available for menopausal women who experience this symptom.
Vaginal Dryness in Menopausal Women
Also called vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness can affect women of all ages but it particularly affects women between the ages of 40 and 65. Your vagina is kept moist by mucus membranes that are located at the mouth of your uterus. Estrogen in your body aids these membranes in producing lubrication that helps to keep the vagina moist, supple, and strong. The lubricant also has a slight acidity level, which helps to protect your vagina from foreign bacteria, keeping it free from infection.
Estrogen is the key to maintaining vaginal health and elasticity. As estrogen levels decrease during female menopause, the mucous membranes (vaginal epithelium) near your uterus produce less mucous. As a result, the vagina becomes very dry and thin. The walls of your vagina will become weaker and more sensitive. Acid levels also begin to decline, leaving you open to invading microorganisms, which can cause yeast infections and urinary tract infections. As your estrogen levels decline, less blood will circulate to the tissues in the pelvis, causing your vagina to thin and sag. Your vulva and vagina will probably begin to look different than it did before. Tissue and fat around the vagina will begin to disappear.
Symptoms of Vaginal Dryness
The most common symptoms of vaginal dryness are itching and painful sexual intercourse. Without its natural mucus, the vagina becomes very dry and fragile and cannot handle rough penetration. Forceful penetration may rip or tear the vaginal walls. You may have been wondering why you are experiencing vaginal bleeding after menopause. Spotting or bleeding can occur after sex if the vagina is too dry. A lot of women cannot stand to have sex at all, because the painful intercourse in menopause is simply not enjoyable.
Menopause itching due to dryness can also become painful and annoying. Incontinence also often occurs with vaginal dryness. As estrogen levels decrease, the walls of your vagina become increasingly weak, and are unable to prevent urine from escaping. Women with vaginal dryness are also at increased risk for developing vaginal infections like yeast infections, which are characterized by a thick, odorous discharge.
Treating Vaginal Dryness
Relieving vaginal dryness is possible. There are a variety of treatments are available to women suffering from vaginal dryness. Your doctor will probably recommend that you try to have sex as much as possible. This may seem strange, but sexual intercourse will help stimulate the mucus glands at the base of the uterus, making your vagina moist. Women who refrain from sex often find that their dryness becomes even worse.
Some tried and tested menopause remedies include using lubricants, which can help sexual intercourse be less painful and more enjoyable. These can be applied up to two hours before sex. Over the counter moisturizers can provide relief from dryness for up to 24 hours.
For persistent vaginal dryness estrogen therapy is recommended. Oral, topical, transdermal, and tablet forms are available by prescription from your doctor.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Menopause and Memory Loss
Menopause and Memory Loss
Forgetting where you put your keys a lot lately? Leaving that shopping list at home all of the time? Having trouble remembering names for all of those faces? Menopausal women often complain of fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating; some even wonder if this is the beginning of dementia.
There is no need to worry; you are most likely not losing your mind! Short term memory loss is very common and probably has very little to do with menopause itself. Read on to find out what the causes of memory loss during menopause are and what you can do to fight memory loss.
Memory and the Brain
Memory is a very complex mechanism and is not completely understood even today. It’s pretty hard to imagine that you can fit all you need to know and more inside what is really a fairly small computer. But our brains are specially tuned to store, retain, and retrieve large amounts of information. Our brain knows what information to keep on hand and what information to forget, at least for the most part. Without memory, we would not be able to go about our daily business.
Our memories work in three stages: registration, retention, and recall. When we make observations in our daily life, our brain registers what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and think. If we continually repeat or remember something that we observe, our brain keeps this information in our short-term memory.
The Short and Long of It
Usually only small bits of information can be kept in short term memory, with superfluous information being thrown out (and forgotten) or stored in long term memory for further use. Short-term memory is reserved for information that we need to access quickly. For instance, our short term memory can recall a phone number for just the amount of time we need to dial it.
Long-term memory is responsible for remembering facts about our past. It holds onto information about our days at work last week, that vacation we took last year, or about those summers we enjoyed when we were kids. Long-term memory also takes care of remembering necessary things, such as word meanings and semantics, the history of the world, and place locations and dates.
Special sections of our long-term memory are devoted to retaining information we need on a daily basis to survive. Procedural memory tells us how to walk, talk and eat, while our prospective memory reminds us what we need to do today, tomorrow, or next week.
Memory Loss and Menopause
Though our memories usually work pretty efficiently most of the time, we have all experienced lapses in what we can remember. Memory loss is a natural part of aging. But menopausal women often complain of "brain freeze" or the inability to retrieve certain information when they need it. You may have noticed that you have trouble finding that word you want to use or that you can’t remember the name of your new coworker. Slight memory loss is a normal sign of menopause, but there is no clear consensus as to what causes short term memory loss.
It was once thought that fluctuating levels of estrogen were to blame for fuzzy brains during menopause. Estrogen does play an active role in memory. Estrogen stimulates neurotransmitters, which allow parts of your brain to communicate with one another. Estrogen also helps dilate blood vessels in the brain, increasing the flow of red blood cells that help the brain to function. During female menopause, your estrogen levels decrease. In the past, efforts to stave off menopause memory loss called for estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). However, it appears that estrogen actually does little to improve memory.
Because estrogen doesn’t play a major part in memory loss or gain, researchers have been looking for other reasons for your brain’s fuzziness during menopause. It seems that symptoms of menopause may contribute to your forgetfulness.
Menopause is a time of extreme stress for many women. Weight gain in menopause, hot flashes, mood swings – they all contribute to massive amounts of tension. Menopause depression can lead to difficulty retaining and retrieving information. Lack of sleep combined with poor nutrition can make it extremely hard for your brain to keep up.
Keeping Sharp
There are a few ways to keep your memory sharp and your brain in tune. These natural remedies for menopause will keep you ahead of the count. If you are eager to have the best brain on the block, here are a few memory loss treatments to sharpen up with:
Forgetting where you put your keys a lot lately? Leaving that shopping list at home all of the time? Having trouble remembering names for all of those faces? Menopausal women often complain of fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating; some even wonder if this is the beginning of dementia.
There is no need to worry; you are most likely not losing your mind! Short term memory loss is very common and probably has very little to do with menopause itself. Read on to find out what the causes of memory loss during menopause are and what you can do to fight memory loss.
Memory and the Brain
Memory is a very complex mechanism and is not completely understood even today. It’s pretty hard to imagine that you can fit all you need to know and more inside what is really a fairly small computer. But our brains are specially tuned to store, retain, and retrieve large amounts of information. Our brain knows what information to keep on hand and what information to forget, at least for the most part. Without memory, we would not be able to go about our daily business.
Our memories work in three stages: registration, retention, and recall. When we make observations in our daily life, our brain registers what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and think. If we continually repeat or remember something that we observe, our brain keeps this information in our short-term memory.
The Short and Long of It
Usually only small bits of information can be kept in short term memory, with superfluous information being thrown out (and forgotten) or stored in long term memory for further use. Short-term memory is reserved for information that we need to access quickly. For instance, our short term memory can recall a phone number for just the amount of time we need to dial it.
Long-term memory is responsible for remembering facts about our past. It holds onto information about our days at work last week, that vacation we took last year, or about those summers we enjoyed when we were kids. Long-term memory also takes care of remembering necessary things, such as word meanings and semantics, the history of the world, and place locations and dates.
Special sections of our long-term memory are devoted to retaining information we need on a daily basis to survive. Procedural memory tells us how to walk, talk and eat, while our prospective memory reminds us what we need to do today, tomorrow, or next week.
Memory Loss and Menopause
Though our memories usually work pretty efficiently most of the time, we have all experienced lapses in what we can remember. Memory loss is a natural part of aging. But menopausal women often complain of "brain freeze" or the inability to retrieve certain information when they need it. You may have noticed that you have trouble finding that word you want to use or that you can’t remember the name of your new coworker. Slight memory loss is a normal sign of menopause, but there is no clear consensus as to what causes short term memory loss.
It was once thought that fluctuating levels of estrogen were to blame for fuzzy brains during menopause. Estrogen does play an active role in memory. Estrogen stimulates neurotransmitters, which allow parts of your brain to communicate with one another. Estrogen also helps dilate blood vessels in the brain, increasing the flow of red blood cells that help the brain to function. During female menopause, your estrogen levels decrease. In the past, efforts to stave off menopause memory loss called for estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). However, it appears that estrogen actually does little to improve memory.
Because estrogen doesn’t play a major part in memory loss or gain, researchers have been looking for other reasons for your brain’s fuzziness during menopause. It seems that symptoms of menopause may contribute to your forgetfulness.
Menopause is a time of extreme stress for many women. Weight gain in menopause, hot flashes, mood swings – they all contribute to massive amounts of tension. Menopause depression can lead to difficulty retaining and retrieving information. Lack of sleep combined with poor nutrition can make it extremely hard for your brain to keep up.
Keeping Sharp
There are a few ways to keep your memory sharp and your brain in tune. These natural remedies for menopause will keep you ahead of the count. If you are eager to have the best brain on the block, here are a few memory loss treatments to sharpen up with:
- Activate your Brain: Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs exercise too! Keep sharp with crossword puzzles, brainteasers, or evening or weekend classes. Travel is an excellent way to increase your brain power without having to do too much work!
- Get your Rest: Menopause and insomnia often go hand in hand. Menopause night sweats might be keeping you up, but it is necessary to try and get some sleep. Sleep will keep your energy levels at a premium so your brain can think clearly and remember information when you need it. Sleep at least eight hours a day.
- Eat Right: Poor nutrition may not seem like a big thing, but without the proper nutrients your brain can’t lay down information properly. Menopause treatment often involves a special diet. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, a balance of protein and carbohydrates, and avoid alcohol, which only impairs memory. Certain foods have been linked with improved mental acuity including blueberries, fish, legumes, and soy products.
- Reduce Stress: Stress causes your body to release the hormone cortisole, which blocks memories from being stored. All menopausal women have stress, but it particularly affects those going through early menopause or surgical menopause. Try practicing deep breathing, yoga, swimming, or walking to reduce stress.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Incontinence and Menopause
Menopause and Incontinence
Incontinence can be a very embarrassing problem for both men and women alike. In particular, menopausal women find incontinence difficult to deal with - one day they are fine, and the next they can no longer control their bladders. No one wants to have to deal with bladder problems; much less go to the doctor to discuss it. But urinary incontinence is a problem that can be easily treated if not solved. If you find that you are avoiding certain situations, rescheduling your day, or getting little sleep at night because of incontinence, you may benefit from one of the convenient therapies available today.
What is Incontinence
Incontinence refers to the involuntarily loss of urine from the body. It may leak, drip, or rush out, depending upon the type of incontinence that you are suffering from. Incontinence may also be accompanied by a continual urge to go to the bathroom or a feeling of fullness in the bladder. One of the most common menopause symptoms, more than 40% of menopausal women suffer from incontinence.
An organ called the bladder is responsible for collecting urine produced by your kidneys. The bladder is a sac that can only hold so much liquid. When it is full, the liquid must be expelled through the urethra, and this happens during urination. Pelvic muscles and a sphincter are trained to keep your body from expelling the urine until you are ready. When it is time to go to the bathroom, special nerves in your pelvis send signals to your brain. The pelvic muscles remain contracted until you are prepared for urination.
As menopause hits, women often find themselves rushing to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times. During menopause, estrogen levels in the body drop dramatically. Estrogen is responsible for keeping the urethra and the lining of the bladder healthy. It also stimulates blood flow to the pelvic region, increasing strength in the pelvic muscles. As your estrogen drops, you may find that your pelvic muscles are simply weaker than they were before. These muscles may not have enough strength to hold the opening to your bladder closed. This is what causes the unwanted leakage of urine. Pregnancy and vaginal birth can contribute to weakened pelvic muscles in menopausal women, as can the natural aging process.
Types of Incontinence
There are four different types of urinary incontinence.
Treatment for Incontinence
Many women are simply too ashamed or embarrassed to seek out treatment for their incontinence. A lot of women accept incontinence as an "inevitable" part of menopausal life, but this need not be the case. If incontinence is turning your life upside down, talk with your doctor or decide on the treatment that is right for you.
There are also a number of incontinence products available on the market today. These incontinence supplies include incontinence pants and incontinence pads, both of which can help you avoid an embarassing accident if you can’t make it to a washroom in time.
Self Treatment
There are a variety of treatments that you can do yourself at home to help strengthen your bladder.
Medical and Surgical Treatment
If your incontinence is causing severe troubles in your everyday life, there are some treatments that your doctor can prescribe, including incontinence surgery.
Incontinence can be a very embarrassing problem for both men and women alike. In particular, menopausal women find incontinence difficult to deal with - one day they are fine, and the next they can no longer control their bladders. No one wants to have to deal with bladder problems; much less go to the doctor to discuss it. But urinary incontinence is a problem that can be easily treated if not solved. If you find that you are avoiding certain situations, rescheduling your day, or getting little sleep at night because of incontinence, you may benefit from one of the convenient therapies available today.
What is Incontinence
Incontinence refers to the involuntarily loss of urine from the body. It may leak, drip, or rush out, depending upon the type of incontinence that you are suffering from. Incontinence may also be accompanied by a continual urge to go to the bathroom or a feeling of fullness in the bladder. One of the most common menopause symptoms, more than 40% of menopausal women suffer from incontinence.
An organ called the bladder is responsible for collecting urine produced by your kidneys. The bladder is a sac that can only hold so much liquid. When it is full, the liquid must be expelled through the urethra, and this happens during urination. Pelvic muscles and a sphincter are trained to keep your body from expelling the urine until you are ready. When it is time to go to the bathroom, special nerves in your pelvis send signals to your brain. The pelvic muscles remain contracted until you are prepared for urination.
As menopause hits, women often find themselves rushing to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times. During menopause, estrogen levels in the body drop dramatically. Estrogen is responsible for keeping the urethra and the lining of the bladder healthy. It also stimulates blood flow to the pelvic region, increasing strength in the pelvic muscles. As your estrogen drops, you may find that your pelvic muscles are simply weaker than they were before. These muscles may not have enough strength to hold the opening to your bladder closed. This is what causes the unwanted leakage of urine. Pregnancy and vaginal birth can contribute to weakened pelvic muscles in menopausal women, as can the natural aging process.
Types of Incontinence
There are four different types of urinary incontinence.
- Stress Incontinence: Stress incontinence is caused by sudden pressure in the abdomen that pushes on the bladder. Sneezing, coughing, laughing, and jumping can sometimes push down on the bladder causing leakage.
- Urge Incontinence: Urge incontinence is the most common type of incontinence, and is often experienced by menopausal women. This type of incontinence makes you suddenly feel like you have to go to the bathroom, sometimes catching you off guard.
- Mixed Incontinence: This type of incontinence is caused by a mixture of both stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
- Overflow Incontinence: During overflow incontinence your bladder cannot empty completely. As a result, your bladder will fill up very quickly making you feel like you need to go to the bathroom very frequently. Leakage is common.
Treatment for Incontinence
Many women are simply too ashamed or embarrassed to seek out treatment for their incontinence. A lot of women accept incontinence as an "inevitable" part of menopausal life, but this need not be the case. If incontinence is turning your life upside down, talk with your doctor or decide on the treatment that is right for you.
There are also a number of incontinence products available on the market today. These incontinence supplies include incontinence pants and incontinence pads, both of which can help you avoid an embarassing accident if you can’t make it to a washroom in time.
Self Treatment
There are a variety of treatments that you can do yourself at home to help strengthen your bladder.
- Diet: Changing your diet in a few simple ways can help to reduce your symptoms of incontinence. Limiting the amount of caffeine you take in can help stop excess urination. Caffeine functions as a diuretic, which will exacerbate your incontinence. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to flush out any bacteria that may be accumulating in your bladder. Eat a balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Kegel Exercises: Pregnant women have long used Kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic muscles for delivery. These exercises also work wonders for helping to prevent incontinence. Lie on the ground with your legs apart and feet flat on the floor. Gently contract the muscles around your vagina, urethra, and anus. Hold this contraction for a few seconds and then release. Continue these exercises, completing 3 sets of 15 each day. Soon your bladder will be back in control.
- Bladder Retraining: You can retrain your bladder in order to encourage less frequent urination. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water and delay urination for five minutes. Every day, drink more water and delay urination by a little bit longer, working up to a delay of 15 minutes. Your bladder should begin to hold more urine and you will need to urinate less frequently.
Medical and Surgical Treatment
If your incontinence is causing severe troubles in your everyday life, there are some treatments that your doctor can prescribe, including incontinence surgery.
- Pessaries: Pessaries look like little umbrellas and are designed to hold your pelvis up, off your bladder. These pessaries are easily inserted and can really decrease the amount of pressure on your bladder.
- Cones and Balls: Cones and balls that can be inserted are available to help train your pelvic muscles to contract appropriately.
- Bladder Swings: Bladder swings can be surgically implanted into your pelvic region if you are experiencing continued incontinence. The swing supports the bladder, preventing it from being pressured by other organs.
- Electrical Stimulation: This procedure involves sending electric pulses to your pelvic muscles. These pulses train your muscles to contract and allow new nerves to grow. The result is similar to Kegel exercises.
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