Whether your ovaries might be merely damaged by radiation or chemotherapy treatments or completely removed in a bilateral oophorectomy procedure, you may be experiencing the unmistakable side effects of menopause -- hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, and low sex drive. While these symptoms are unpleasant enough for those who are already well into middle age, for those who are much younger and already recovering from major surgery or cancer treatment, they can be maddening. What can you do to reduce the severity of your surgical menopause symptoms? Read on to learn more about your best short-term and long-term treatment options.
What are the effects of surgical menopause on your body?
Although you may associate your ovaries with little more than the monthly release of fertile eggs, they're also responsible for producing much of the estrogen and progesterone that flows through your body. Suddenly cutting off these hormones by removing or compromising your ovaries can be enough to send you into instant or "surgical" menopause. The side effects of surgical menopause can set in more quickly and be much more severe than the side effects of traditional menopause, which instead involves a slow decrease in the amount of estrogen and progesterone produced by your ovaries over a course of several years.
Because going through menopause at a young age can cause health problems, it's important to seek medical intervention for your menopause symptoms. Those who went into menopause before age 40 were found to have a greater risk of developing heart disease or osteoporosis than those who went through menopause (even surgical menopause) at a later age. If you fall into this category, signing on for hormone replacement therapy or another treatment can help bring this risk down to a more manageable level.
What can you do to best manage your surgical menopause symptoms?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one of the best ways to restore your feeling of "normal" following removal of or damage to your ovaries. This therapy requires you to ingest estrogen and progesterone pills or supplements to fill your endocrine system with the hormones it no longer naturally produces. HRT can help immediately stop or reduce menopause symptoms, allowing you to live a more normal lifestyle and set thoughts of menopause to the back burner for the time being.
HRT can also be helpful for those still recovering from surgery, chemo, or radiation. Many menopause symptoms will affect your ability to get a solid night's sleep, which will affect your moods and energy levels. By taking hormones to reduce your symptoms, you'll be able to relax and recuperate to get your strength and immunity back. For more information, contact a medical clinic, such as Bay Area Women's Care.
Share17 May 2016
For many couples, bringing home a new baby from the hospital is one of the most exciting events of their lives. Do you believe you’re pregnant for the first time in your life? If you think you’re expecting a baby, schedule an appointment with a reputable OBGYN as soon as possible. This medical professional can perform a pregnancy test on you in order to confirm if your suspicions are correct. If you’re pregnant, your OBGYN will likely prescribe prenatal vitamins for you to take every day. This individual might also offer you advice about proper nutrition and exercise. On this blog, I hope you will discover how OBGYNs help women thrive during pregnancy. Enjoy!
