All about climax: What you need to know about it now
When did you start your period, you probably already knew something about this phenomenon. Even against the background of a lack of sexual education, information about menstruation can be considered available: girls are more or less prepared for it. Unfortunately, the climax - a period in which many of us have to spend more than one year and during which noticeable changes will occur in the body - this can not be said. Even if you are still far from menopause (the average age of onset is forty-five to fifty-five years old), knowing about your body and its future is useful in any case. Information about climax, moreover, will help to better understand moms, older girlfriends and relatives who are experiencing this experience now. We collected the most important facts and asked various women about their menopause.
"It turned out that this is a climax"
If there is no culture of "preparation for climax", then how will women find out about its beginning? Someone pays attention to the lost cycle, someone first of all notices strong mood swings. Julia (46 years old) says that a couple of years ago she started having “breakdowns”: “I just abruptly lost my ability to control my emotions. Nothing like this happened to me before. By the time these breakdowns coincided with PMS, but the monthly ones did not go ". At first, Julia thought that there were no menstruations due to stress and antibiotic intake, and eventually she turned to a gynecologist: “I was sent for tests, they said that menopause was coming and the transition would last a year and a half. They prescribed a hormonal drug that helped - the breakdowns stopped ".
Marina (52 years old) says that when her period began to go longer than usual and was accompanied by burning, the thought of menopause did not even come to her mind: "I decided that this was probably a failure of the microflora." The doctor of Marina, too, did not say a word about the possible approach of menopause. “The young gynecologist suggested that we had an incompatibility in a pair with our new husband,” says Marina. “And then, at fifty, I had my last menstruation - and how it cut off. It turned out that it was a menopause.”
Due to lack of information, women may write off age-related changes in the cycle to stress or gynecological problems. Moreover, not all women go to the doctor, someone is going through this period on their own.
Due to lack of information, women may write off age-related changes in the cycle to stress or gynecological problems. Irina (46 years old) found out about her climax recently: “For the last six years, my cycle was broken, I was tired quickly, I was shivering and thrown into a fever. I didn’t sleep well, and my working capacity was falling. Only last fall I was sent for tests, and the words "early menopause" sounded. "" In this case, not all women go to the doctor, someone is going through this period on their own. “About two years ago I noticed that my uniform cycle began to fly before: it lasted eighteen, then fifty days. I didn’t go to the doctor. I have sad experience with gynecologists:“ Give birth, pass ”,“ Sex is harmful, but useful "and so on. I don’t want to face rudeness", - Larisa (53 years) explains her position.
The gynecologist Kristina Potareyeva recommends not to neglect visiting the doctor: “Menopause is a normal physiological process, but if you think that it is approaching or has already arrived, you need to consult a gynecologist. A doctor will examine you and help you to eliminate diseases. visiting a gynecologist is necessary annually. " There are a lot of myths around the climax, and on the Internet there is also contradictory information. How does menopause manifest, is it worth being afraid of him, and what should you know about him now?
What is climax?
If you google "menopause", you will meet many terms, the meanings of which can be interpreted differently in different texts: "menopause", "premenopause", "perimenopause", "menopause". In 1999, the International Menopause Society (International Menopause Society) officially approved the following definitions: MENOPAUSE - this is a complete cessation of menstruation due to the fact that the ovaries are no longer active - the follicles cease to mature in them, the oocytes cease to ovulate. Menopause is always defined in retrospect: if twelve months have passed since the last menstrual period, it means that it was she.
Menopause occurring at the age of forty-five to fifty years is called "natural", at the age of up to forty years - "early" (with the amendment that this figure is conditional and may vary depending on the average for the region). It happens and the so-called artificial menopause - the cessation of menstruation due to medical intervention: removal of the ovaries, chemotherapy, radiation or medication. One or two years before natural menopause, women experience physical, psychological and hormonal changes. This period, experts recommend calling the menopausal transition. Ambiguously happened with the word premenopause. In some texts, including many Russian-speaking, it is used as a synonym for the menopausal transition, but IAM and WHO experts advise to separate the concepts. In their recommendations, premenopause is the entire multi-year period from the time of the first menstrual period to the last.
CLIMAX call the entire period of life since the beginning of the menopausal transition. To refer to menopausal symptoms, specialists suggest the term "menopausal syndrome". Doctors still use the term perimenopause - This is a much shorter period around the last menstruation. It begins simultaneously with menopause, but ends a year after menopause. And finally postmenopause - This is the period after menopause.
Nevertheless, such a system of definitions is not the only one that exists: the notation used by different specialists may differ slightly. Therefore, when you read the text about menopause or discuss it with your doctor, make sure that your understanding of the terms is the same.
What happens during menopause
After forty to forty-five years, the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen. Monthly gradually become irregular, can go much less, or, conversely, much longer than usual. Changes occur in estrogen-dependent organs: the central nervous system reacts, skin turgor decreases, vaginal mucosa becomes drier, and bones become more fragile.
Different women experience menopause differently. Someone does not notice any special changes in their state of health, someone is faced with intense physical and psychological consequences. How a woman feels in menopause is influenced by individual physiological and psychological characteristics, as well as external factors, including the attitude to menopause in society.
Despite the fact that popular culture presents menopause in a negative light, many women are happy to change. Someone likes that you no longer have to deal with menstruation and PMS, someone is happy to have sex without the risk of getting pregnant
Despite the fact that popular culture presents menopause in a negative light, many women are happy to change. Some people like that they no longer have to deal with menstruation and PMS, someone is happy about having sex without risking getting pregnant, someone, contrary to stereotypes, begins to feel calmer and more balanced with the onset of menopause.
Larisa (53 years old) is pleased with the changes: “My psychiatrist said that the panic attacks that tormented me would end with the onset of menopause. And this happened: it’s already a year and a half since they left and never come back. And the fact that there are no more menstruations is very convenient , of course". What else changes when joining menopause? The main symptoms that are associated with hormonal changes (and which are not necessarily manifested in you) also include so-called hot flashes, sleep disturbances, breast swelling, frequent urination, and mood swings.
What are tides
Hot flashes are sharp flashes of heat, which can be accompanied by sweating, reddening of the skin, trembling, palpitations. More than 75% of women passing through menopause face tides. One flash can last from thirty seconds to thirty minutes, and they can happen just once in a few months, and up to thirty times a day. Night tides can cause sleep disturbance - another common menopausal symptom. Maria (50 years old) says she wakes up at night "wet through": "You have to get up, change clothes, change bedding."
Larisa (53 years old) coped with the tides by starting to take hormone preparations: "My tides turned out to be very strong — about thirty per day, and at times they occurred every ten minutes, and it was just hell." For some, the appearance of tides, by contrast, becomes a positive change. Marina (52 years old) is glad that thanks to the tides "has finally ceased to freeze in winter."
The causes of hot flashes are still poorly understood, but they are associated with changes in the level of hormones that affect the thermoregulatory function of the hypothalamus. Hormone therapy successfully helps to cope with the tides, but now other methods are being actively studied. If the tides are not affected by medication, then, as a rule, they themselves stop for a couple of years, although there are also cases of continued tides for ten years.
Climax and sex
During menopause, a libido may behave differently: for some it will fade away, for someone, on the contrary, to awaken vigorously, and for the third it will not change at all. Often, women say that they feel freer, because they can no longer be afraid of unwanted pregnancy. Nevertheless, doctors recommend using contraceptives a couple of years after menopause, as during this period the risk of becoming pregnant still remains.
“When the first gaps in the cycle went, the first thing I noticed was how much the skin began to fade and how the libido increased. I thought that menopause would, on the contrary, kill sexual desire — and it suddenly increased dramatically,” says Julia (46 years old). Irina (46 years old) has a different experience: “When I had problems with orgasm, at first I explained this to myself with difficulties with a new partner. Then the libido gradually disappeared - but at that time I blamed everything for stress, fatigue and depression.”
If the relationship with a partner or partner during a menopause changes, it is not necessarily the effect of hormones. The change in emotional climate in a couple can be related to the way a woman and her close person feel psychologically
Doctors say that regular sex life can ease the appearance of menopause. Galina (48 years old) says that when she began a new relationship and had regular sex, the climacteric changes receded: “The interruptions in the cycle, pressure spikes and flushes passed during the year. I’ve seen a gynecologist, and she says that this is due to restoration of sexual activity. "
Because of the lower estrogen levels, the mucous membranes of the vagina and vulva often become drier and more sensitive, easier to injure and easier to infect. Therefore, those who practice vaginal penetration or contact with the vulva, you need to take care of a good lubricant to maintain comfort and safety. Even when pregnancy is excluded, the issue of protection should still be treated responsibly, follow special recommendations for intimate hygiene and consult a doctor in time if something is bothering you. If the relationship with a partner or partner during a menopause changes, it is not necessarily the effect of hormones. The change in the emotional climate in a couple can be related to how a woman and her close person feel psychologically.
Psychological changes
“In psychological terms, it became more difficult for me to do anything. What I used to do with one hand left suddenly turned out to be very heavy,” says Irina (46 years old). “Now I think this is a good defense mechanism that should actually be said Thank you. But first, when I suddenly found out that I simply couldn’t persuade myself anymore, I couldn’t persuade or convince me, I experienced this very hard. Larisa (53 years old) recalls that at the beginning of menopause "she was naughty, she suddenly became whiny and touchy," and compared the onset of menopause with prolonged PMS.
The psychological symptoms of menopause at different times were attributed to depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, outbursts of anger. Despite the fact that hormones can affect the emotional state, now scientists tend to look more widely at the causes of psychological changes in women of menopausal age. In the period of menopause, a woman can really experience stress, but it is not always the result of hormonal fluctuations. Often for women, the age of menopause coincides with the separation of grown children, the end of a career, divorce or the beginning of a new relationship, the need to care for elderly parents. Also, the woman's sense of self depends on how her menopause is treated in her culture. In a society that treats menopause as a “disease,” women perceive it more negatively than where menopause sees a natural process inherent in age.
With the fact that different women experience menopause differently, psychologist Sofia Shapotailo agrees: “Someone comes to life and invigorate, someone may perceive menopause as a loss. It’s good that there are close people close to this moment who are ready to be attentive to experiences.” women, do not depreciate. It is important to know that mood swings are absolutely normal during this period. Perhaps a woman now needs to be helped to find footholds, make plans for the future. A state of apathy that lasts a long time requires special attention. . Oveka you may need specialist support - a psychologist or a doctor. "
"This terrible climax"
In our culture, women in menopause are often irritable, nervous, ill, stressed unattractive and "unsatisfied." It is not surprising that women living in the environment of such stereotypes may be afraid of “getting old” - all the more so because society constantly requires them to meet certain standards of beauty, to be cheerful and contented. Increasing age is presented as a problem that makes a woman "not up to social norms."
Unfortunately, in medical offices, women do not always get enough attention. Feminist researchers note that according to the established medical practice, women's complaints about physical and psychological health during menopause are often attributed to "hormonal fluctuations", ignoring external causes. This approach supports the stigma of menopause and the "habit" of problematizing the female age.
Social stigma and stereotypes are often pressured so much that women prefer to hide psychological and emotional aspects of menopause as “shameful,” fearing condemnation and ridicule.
Modern scientists are increasingly talking about the need for a more careful and attentive attitude to menopause and urge not to write off everything on "female hormonal features." For example, menopause is no longer considered the cause of cardiovascular diseases, as it was before. Yes, many women have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases after menopause - but the cause is more likely in age than in men. Also, the link between menopause and memory problems was not sufficiently confirmed. At the same time, social stigma and stereotypes about women in menopause are often pressured so much that women prefer to hide psychological and emotional aspects of menopause as “shameful”, fearing condemnation and ridicule. In addition, the "cult of motherhood" can affect so much that even those who no longer planned to have children, can still suffer because of the loss of fertility.
Climax as a release
A study conducted with 304 women showed that 42.2% of the participants felt relief from the onset of menopause. Only 2.7% reported feeling regret, and 19.6% said they had mixed feelings. In another study, in which 505 women took part from 35 to 55 years old, 74.9% of respondents said they would not wait for their monthly period to stop, 12% anticipate ending PMS, 11.1% want to no longer depend on contraception, and 3, 5% of women expect to become wiser with the onset of menopause.
Researcher Nazli Fenercioglu also notes that most of the women she interviewed do not consider their experience in menopause to be similar to the image that is broadcast in the mass media. Interestingly, if in Western culture, menopause is often presented as a disadvantage and deterioration of the situation of women, for women of Asian cultures, menopause often means liberation and acquisition of a new status and respect. For example, women of Japanese descent rarely encounter tides during menopause, and scientists believe that this may have not only biological, but also cultural reasons. According to them, Japanese women are less stressed during menopause, because the attitude to menopause in Japanese culture has traditionally been positive.
Ирина рассказывает, что климактерические изменения сначала приводили её в отчаяние но в итоге помогли принять, что "силы не безграничны", и обратить внимание на саму себя
Кажется логичным и человечным не считать климакс "болезнью", требующей лечения, а увидеть в нём нормальный для женского организма физиологический процесс, просто требующий своих способов заботы - как месячные, как пубертат, как беременность. Irina (46 years old) says that climacteric changes first brought her to despair but eventually helped to accept that "the forces are not limitless" and pay attention to herself: "I had to take off the crown of the savior and the winner. To realize that first of all I in responsibility for myself, my health and mental state, and not for someone else's well-being, mood and attitude towards me. It turned out that I had to re-understand basic things about myself: what I want, what I don't want, what I should and what should not, how should I take care of myself, how to determine prior power supply and distribution. "
Marina (52 years old) thinks that menopause helped her to become softer and more indulgent to herself: “I don’t regret that I can no longer give birth. I do not regret that I can not be young and timid. Maybe I don’t like my photos. He catches his breath when he sees his beloved girlfriend — all gray-haired — after years, trite, but this is life. Relatives don't really know about my menopause. They deal with me entirely: worldview, character and background.
The later - the better?
When it is your menopause, science can not answer for sure. Scientists say about the possible influence of the hereditary factor: in principle, you can ask your mother and grandmothers when menopause happened to them. There is also evidence indicating that the time of arrival of menopause may depend on nationality, body mass index, relationships with alcohol, past diseases, the number of births. A lot of information and that smoking brings menopause. Is it bad? Scientists of feminist views argue that it is not necessary: the menopause comes - and this is natural. Another thing, if you do not want to deal with any of its consequences.
What to do if for some reason you want to push menopause? There is no definitive answer to this question yet, but researchers traditionally suggest limiting alcohol and tobacco consumption, including fish oil and legumes in the diet. With physical exertion, everything is ambiguous: heavy menopause is likely to be brought closer, but lightweight, on the contrary, will help delay. Similar general recommendations also apply to those who want to alleviate the symptoms of an already occurring menopause. "There is a percentage of women who just run out of menstruation and almost nothing else. I recommend them calcium supplements with vitamin D, the use of lubricants for vaginal sex and physical activity is the minimum necessary for everyone," the gynecologist Kristina Potryayeva comments.
Climax and therapy
A separate and big topic is the use of hormone replacement therapy, which is most effective in correcting the symptoms of menopause. Hormonal drugs are good for mood swings, hot flashes, dry vaginal mucosa, etc. Nevertheless, hormone therapy during menopause increases the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, therefore, scientists recommend that you use it consciously.
In the scientific community, hormone replacement therapy is treated differently. According to some scientists, the benefits of hormonal support often outweigh the risks - the main thing is that a qualified doctor selects the appropriate drug and dosage. Others believe that resorting to the reception of "hormones" is only in special cases and the appointment of hormone therapy for women in menopause should not be a mass practice just for the sake of meeting certain parameters of conditional "youth."
Hormone therapy during menopause increases the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, so scientists recommend that you use it consciously.
As a result of a long history of research today, most scientists share the position of the North American Menopause Association. Experts recommend using small dosages, limit the period of reception and remember that hormone therapy for menopause is not necessary for everyone. Still, for some women, hormones are obviously the best help. “Something terrible was happening to me: my teeth began to collapse, my joints became deformed, arthritis started, my skin cracked, my hair fell out. Morally I was just in a dreadful state, it looked like a very strong PMS, only permanent” years), which managed to improve their condition thanks to hormone replacement therapy.
Gynecologist Kristina Potareyeva advises not to be afraid of modern preparations with micro-dosages, but notes that only a doctor can prescribe them and only after a full examination. The effectiveness of other methods of relieving unpleasant climacteric symptoms has not yet been proven, or they do not give a comparable effect. But science is constantly looking for new opportunities, and those who will enter into menopause in twenty to thirty years are likely to do so in completely different medical and ethical realities.
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