Dr. Lecturer. Melis Gökçe Koçer Yazıcı “Symptoms Should Be Treated for Women's Health and Quality of Life During Menopause”

Underlining that timing is also very important for menopause treatment, Gynecology, Obstetrics and In Vitro Fertilization Specialist Dr. Lecturer Melis G. Koçer Yazıcı, There is a general opinion that women who start hormone therapy under the age of 60 or within 10 years after the onset of menopause have an improved quality of life in the long term. Therefore, when menopause symptoms appear, it would be appropriate to start treatment as soon as possible,” she said.

Socioeconomic Level Affects the Age of  Going Through Menopause

Although women are considered to have gone through menopause if they have not had a menstrual period for twelve months, Yeditepe University Hospitals Gynecology and Obstetrics Dr. Yazıcı , In Vitro Fertilization Specialist said that this situation may vary from person to person. "We can say that the average age of menopause in countries with a medium socioeconomic level such as Turkey is 48. However, in countries such as Europe and the USA, this age can go a little further, up to the age of 55. "As far as we can understand from here, if the socioeconomic level is limited or low, menopause occurs earlier."

“Your genetics also determine your menopause period”

Our expert said that the main reason why the age of menopause develops differently in each woman is genetic factors, and also pointed out that weight and smoking may also cause the age to be earlier. Our expert continued: “First of all, the age at which your mother reaches menopause is important to us. If your mother, sister, aunt or aunt entered menopause before the age of 45, then you will most likely enter early menopause too. However, this condition should not be confused with "premature ovarian failure" that develops before the age of 40. This is a different issue. "In addition to family history, some chromosome-related problems, smoking, whether or not exercise is done, and the woman's body mass index are among the factors that determine the age of menopause."

Your Family History is an Important Indicator in the Menopause Process

“Menopause is a natural event and transition experienced by women, but the timing and symptoms are different for everyone,” said our expert and continued: “Most women will experience the symptoms of menopause. While some women will experience few or no symptoms, others may be severe enough to affect daily life. You can look at your family history to get an idea of when you might transition. Chances are that your mother's or older sisters' age at which menopause symptoms begin will be similar to yours. Menopause may also occur due to certain surgeries or cancer treatments. “These reasons may cause symptoms to become more sudden and severe.”

Menopause Symptoms Vary Between Women

Reminding that there are different symptoms of menopause and that symptoms may differ between individuals, our Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist gave the following information on the subject: “Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness or pain, low mood or anxiety, brain fog and memory problems, difficulty sleeping.” Fatigue, joint pain, loss of sexual drive (libido) and migraines are among the most common symptoms. The time between periods may shorten or occur at longer intervals, usually over several months or years, before stopping completely. Sometimes menstruation may stop suddenly. It may occur every two or three weeks or may not occur for months at a time. Eventually, periods will stop completely. But for some women, other menopause symptoms may persist. “Some women may experience symptoms such as migraines, irritability and low mood without having irregular periods.”

Menopause Symptoms Should Be Treated for Women's Quality of Life

Reminding that hormone replacement therapy is not given to every woman who enters menopause, this varies depending on the woman, our specialist said: “If the woman who comes to us has very intense complaints such as hot flashes, sweating, and irritability and has reached a level that affects her life, we start treatment. Of course, this is only possible if the woman does not have a different condition that would affect her use of the treatment. "In addition, if the woman does not have such complaints and only suffers from vaginal dryness, then we do not apply hormone therapy, we perform local treatment," she said.

Timing is Important in Menopause Treatment

Our expert underlines that timing is also very important for menopause treatment. There is a general opinion that women who are younger than 60 or who start hormone therapy within 10 years after the onset of menopause receive symptomatic relief and improve their quality of life in the long term in terms of protection from post-menopausal chronic diseases. Therefore, when menopause symptoms appear, it would be appropriate to start treatment as soon as possible,” she said.
Bone Destruction Becomes Easier With Estrogen Withdrawal During Menopause!
Our expert is pointing out that one of the most important risks for a woman's later life after menopause is osteoporosis and hip fractures at older ages and she continued her words “Estrogen, which begins to disappear with menopause,is a hormone that also protects our bones. After estrogen is withdrawn, bone formation will not be as good as before. The risk of hip fracture comes to the fore, especially at older ages. In fact, women may experience fractures even with very minor blows in daily life, and the main reason for this is estrogen deficiency.” 

Can You Get Pregnant After Menopause?

Our expert answered the question as follows  "Is it possible for a menopausal woman to get pregnant and have a child?"   “After the evaluations and examinations, it is difficult for a woman whose egg reserve is completely exhausted to become pregnant. However, if even one or two eggs are still detected, this woman can become pregnant. She can freeze her eggs or continue with in vitro fertilization treatment. Because the eggs run out in menopause. The uterus remains in place. For some women, becoming pregnant after menopause may be something they do not prefer. For this reason, we tell our patients to stay protected for at least 2 years after not having a menstrual period for 12 months.”
Reminding that menopause causes complaints that also affect sexual life, Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist said, "Vaginal dryness, depression and insomnia are complaints that women may experience. In some women, urinary incontinence problems may increase during this period and sexual life may be negatively affected. In fact, there are women, especially those aged 60-70, who  feels discomfort just by bumping up against their underwear. “We can support this situation with local medications.” she said.

What Should Be Done to Have a Comfortable Menopause Period?

Yeditepe University Hospitals Gynecology and Obstetrics, In Vitro Fertilization Specialist Dr. Yazıcı underlines that women should first change their lifestyle for both the menopause period and the next life. Lecturer Melis. G. Koçer Yazıcı finished her speech as follows: “If a woman has excess weight, it should be lost first. Therefore, in addition to a healthy diet, they should include exercises such as dancing, walking and pilates in their lives and exercise regularly. Another important factor is smoking. It should not be forgotten that women who smoke go through menopause earlier and they should definitely quit smoking and besides they should also not neglect their regular examinations."