Complications in Menopause

Menopause is the ultimate end of the menstruation cycles. As menopause is characterized by the declined levels of the estrogen and progesterone, the body witnesses many simultaneous complications in menopause that are tough to accept and challenge. These complications are all related to the overall health of the body such as heart disease and osteoporosis. As per a medical study, 46% of postmenopausal women have heart disease, 20% pass through stroke, and 15% suffer from hip fracture. So, in this article, we will discover these possible complications in menopause.
 

• Heart DiseaseI am rating this as number 1 because nearly half of the women above 50 are suffering from it. In 1998, over 500,000 women died due to cardiovascular diseases. As a woman passes 50, she develops much more risk for cardiovascular diseases. This is all because of the loss of estrogen. Women who have entered menopause prior to 35 are at a higher risk for heart disease when they grow older. This risk is the result of high LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides along with low HDL (good cholesterol).
  
  However, you can do a lot to overcome these harmful effects of menopause. The risk-reduction methods involve avoiding smoking, reducing high blood pressure, doing regular aerobic exercise, and taking a diet with low saturated fats and increased whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• OsteoporosisThis is one of the most frightening complications in menopause occurring due to low estrogen levels. Osteoporosis is describes as a disease in which bones lose their mass and density and are more prone to fracture. And this happens due to less calcium absorption or lack of calcium in the body. It is seen that at the age of 65, 30% of women suffer from osteoporosis and that none of them know about this condition. Osteoporosis is anyways difficult to detect until a bone fractures in the spine and hip. This disease can also result in bone loss in the jaw and tooth decay.
  
  The only ideal way is to prevent osteoporosis by taking in a lot of calcium and Vitamin D, avoiding smoking, and exercising regularly for strong bones. About 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium and 800 international units of vitamin D are required daily when you cross 50.
• Mental DeclineEstrogen plays an important role in controlling mental functions especially memory functions. So, when the estrogen level drops, a woman tends to forget things or might experience short memory lapses. In this case, she cannot recall the desired information when required, but recalls it later. Further, the production of beta-amyloids increases that is the origin of sticky plaques seen in the Alzheimer’s brains and the short-term growth of nerve pathways in the memory also hikes. So, a menopausal woman is always at the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s syndrome after passing 50.
  
  If the estrogen level is raised, the memory loss can disappear and there is no fear of Alzheimer’s syndrome to happen. This is because estrogen causes the blood vessels to relax and open ensuring enough blood flow to the brain and that it also acts as an antioxidant cleaning free-oxygen radicals that are responsible for Alzheimer's.
• IncontinenceThis is one of the most embarrassing complications in menopause. As per the experts, a drop in estrogen levels in menopause might take away the power to control urination. Because the tissues of vagina and urethra tend to lose elasticity, a woman might feel a frequent and strong desire to urinate. In this, an involuntary loss of urine or the loss of urine on coughing, laughing, or lifting is inevitable.
• Urinary Tract InfectionsMenopausal women are always at a high risk for frequent urinary tract infections. A drop in estrogen level is responsible, which if proper, protects from infection via increasing the amount of lactobacilli that is a microorganism which prevents bacteria to remain in the vaginal cells. To treat these infections, vaginal creams or rings rich in estrogen noticeably reduce the frequency of recurring infections.
• Skin ChangesEstrogen loss plays an important role in droopiness and dryness in the skin and wrinkles.
• Weight GainThis is very common symptom of menopause, but a critical complication giving rise to diseases related to obesity. Further, you have to control your diet by eating less - 200 to 400 less calories a day - and exercise much more to maintain the weight.