According to various studies, climacteric neurosis accompanies the onset of menopause in 30% to 60% of women. Hormonal changes associated with this process affect not only the body, but also the mental state of the woman. The menopausal period can last for years, and the longer the symptoms of the accompanying neurotic disorder are ignored, the stronger they become and the deeper they take root in the psyche. This disorder, despite its natural causes, requires the same serious treatment as other mental disorders.
Symptoms of neurosis during menopause
The symptoms of menopausal neurosis are not much different from the symptoms of other types of neurosis. As a rule, among the manifestations of this disease, women note chronic fatigue and weakness, fatigue, irritability, and mood swings. In addition, vegetative-vascular disorders such as unstable blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, excessive sweating, and so on may develop. Of course, not all women experience menopause with pathology. The appearance of neurosis is also associated with the initial state of health of the patient’s body and psyche, as she felt before the onset of perimenopause. Thus, the possibility of developing climacteric neurosis can be detected even earlier than all the other symptoms of menopause appear.
We must not forget that a woman’s mental state can also be affected by the traumatic changes that occur to her body during menopause. Many women gain extra pounds during this period, which leads to changes in their figure, gray hair appears and skin elasticity decreases. All this is associated with changes in metabolism, but, of course, the woman sees these as signs of aging, which negatively affects her self-esteem. Changes also occur at the psychological level; a woman may become more sentimental, suspicious, emotionally unstable, her behavior sometimes becomes demonstrative and overly dramatic, and emotional reactions become inadequate.
Details about menopause
According to observations, menopause varies in age, or rather, it can occur either at 35 or at 55 years old, but on average, as a rule, it begins at 50 years old.
The climacteric period is quite long, it includes several stages:
1. It all usually begins at the age of 45 with premenopause, when ovarian function decreases. 2. Then, around the age of 50, menopause occurs - few eggs mature, pregnancy is unlikely, menstruation comes less and less often and, finally, stops completely. True menopause is considered if there have been no periods for a year. 3. Postmenopause continues until death. The pituitary gland also produces follicle-stimulating hormones, but the ovaries reduce the production of estrogen. That is, a woman is deprived of the opportunity to produce offspring.
Natural menopause in women is programmed at the genetic level. However, menopause can be induced artificially when the ovaries are surgically removed due to a serious illness.
Features of menopausal neurosis
Although all women go through the natural process of menopause, for most it is a tragedy. They feel that with the loss of the opportunity to bear and give birth to children, their very presence in the family becomes unnecessary or unwanted. At this stage, some women begin to try to compensate for this feeling by taking increased care of their appearance, trying to look as young as possible. Experts believe that this reaction is essentially a replacement or protest against the natural aging processes of the body.
The opposite side of the coin is apathy. When a woman thinks that changes in appearance are inevitable, she becomes passive, loses interest in herself, her appearance and interests, her social activity sharply decreases, and instead there is an unhealthy attention to her own illnesses and ailments.
Also among neurotic disorders during premenopause: nervous and hysterical disorders, headaches and migraines, low mood, even depressive states, decreased ability to work, feelings of anxiety, fear and depression.
Sometimes the symptoms of menopause at first glance have nothing to do with it, which forces women to turn to other doctors. One of these characteristic signs is pain in the heart area.
For quite a long time, it was believed that a special role during the perimenopause period is played by a violation of hormonal function, namely a decrease in estrogen levels. Nowadays, research shows that it is not only this, but also primary age-related changes associated with the function of the hypothalamic centers.
Studies in which about 500 patients took part showed that in 15% of them the development of climacteric neurosis occurred during an absolutely normal course of the menstrual cycle, in 50% neurosis appeared when the cycle was disrupted, and in 33% climacteric neurosis began to appear even after complete menstruation. the onset of menopause. It is worth noting that the symptoms of neurosis associated with premenopause are varied and can stretch over a very long period of time. Sometimes the disorder lasts only a few months, and sometimes more than 15 years.
Treatment of menopausal depression in women
Menopause is a scary word for any woman. It is characterized by oppression of the reproductive system due to the onset of a certain age (50 years and above). Menstruation most often stops or is extremely irregular.
For a woman, menopause is a new stage of life, a kind of test. For some, it passes quickly and painlessly, while for others it causes psychological and physical problems.
On the part of the nervous system, this can be depression, irritation, tearfulness, mood changes (a minute ago I wanted to laugh, but now I want to cry).
The appearance changes noticeably: the skin fades, loses elasticity, a wrinkled “mesh” appears on the face, and hair is actively falling out. Health problems may also arise:
- regular hot flashes;
- insomnia;
- pressure surges;
- dizziness;
- nausea;
- decreased libido;
- obesity;
- osteoporosis, etc.
Naturally, a woman cannot always come to terms with her new self. Against this background, menopausal depression develops in women, which requires very serious treatment.
Causes of depression
Let's take a closer look at why women develop a similar condition during menopause:
- Hormonal changes lead to fluctuations in estrogen levels throughout the day. Hence the “mad” mood swings. The production of serotonin, which is responsible for good health, drops sharply.
- Psychological discomfort associated with rejection of negative changes in appearance and the approach of such a frightening old age.
- Menopause is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms that also spoil the mood: sweating and frequent urge to go to the toilet.
Symptoms
It is important to understand that depression during menopause requires treatment, because life can become simply unbearable. The main thing is to consider dangerous symptoms in time.
- A sharp loss of strength - you have no vital resources, even if you got a good night's sleep.
- A fear of communication develops - any contact becomes a burden, there is no desire to communicate with family, relatives, especially with friends and colleagues.
- Self-esteem decreases enormously for obvious reasons, hence an even greater desire for solitude and voluntary isolation.
- Permanent pessimism, lack of joy from delicious food, a good movie, or a new purchase.
- Hot temper and irritability
Treatment
Treatment of depression in women is, of course, necessary. After all, life does not end during menopause. It can also be full of bright colors, scents and events.
To cope with the problem, you need to contact several specialists:
- The therapist conducts an initial examination and gives directions for tests and examinations.
- After studying the test results, the endocrinologist will draw a conclusion about the woman’s hormonal background. If necessary, he will prescribe hormones. Therapy involves the use of a synthetic hormone. After taking it regularly, women note positive changes in their condition
- A cardiologist will be able to rule out the presence of cardiovascular disease.
- A neurologist will find the causes of irritation, mood swings and will also rule out certain diseases of the nervous system that may have similar symptoms.
It is very important to understand that one or another manifestation of menopause does not mask more serious diseases. If the examination shows that there are no diseases, you can begin to “eliminate” these symptoms and treat menopausal depression.
Here a specialist such as a psychotherapist comes to the fore. Menopausal depression in women includes the following treatment: drug therapy and psychotherapy sessions.
As for medications, we can talk about antidepressants of the SSRI group. They are good because they have a minimal number of side effects, act quite quickly and are easily tolerated by the body.
Preventive measures
The onset of menopause is inevitable. But a woman can always “spread” straw for herself in advance to make menopause as comfortable as possible. How to do this?
- Start taking non-hormonal herbal medications that are as harmless as possible to the body.
- Massage, pine baths and yoga are very relaxing and relieve insomnia.
It is important for women to understand that depressive moods during menopause are not the norm. They should not exist, they should not be tolerated under any circumstances. A woman has the right to enjoy life at any age.
It is important to start taking steps towards happiness. Making them yourself is very difficult. It is important to have a reliable specialist nearby, a doctor who knows his business!
But at the same time, don’t forget that you can help yourself a little:
- Try to go out to people. If you find it very difficult to communicate with people, don't do it. But it is important to be among people, to walk more.
- Pay attention to your appearance. Yes, there are skin problems, but now there are many cosmetic products and procedures that can significantly improve your appearance and make wrinkles shallow and invisible. Don’t forget about decorative cosmetics and soul-pleasant shopping. Even a small wardrobe update will bring a lot of pleasure.
- Find a new hobby. An interesting activity can brighten up your days and speed up your recovery from depression. Hobbies can be related to needlework, dancing, cooking. It all depends on your personal interests.
Don't treat menopause as a tragedy, otherwise your menopausal depression will only get worse. Realize that this is a temporary stage of life that you will definitely pass successfully. Take it as positively as possible. You will see that after some time the depression will begin to recede, and over time you will forget about it.
Treatment of neurosis
As with all other mental illnesses, treatment of menopausal neurosis should only occur under the guidance of a doctor, since in order to prescribe the most effective therapy, it is necessary to take into account all the features of the patient’s symptoms. First of all, hormonal drugs are prescribed, the purpose of which is to equalize a woman’s hormonal levels, which is achieved even with low estrogen levels. It is much more difficult to get rid of vegetative-vascular disorders; they can manifest themselves over several years. Working with the psycho-emotional state falls on the shoulders of a psychotherapist and psychologist, who can not only prescribe different types of therapy, but also prescribe treatment with pharmaceuticals. Often women with this neurosis are prescribed antidepressants or tranquilizers.
By completing all the appointments and undergoing therapy, a woman can improve her emotional state and begin to adequately perceive the changes happening to her.
In therapeutic work, it is important to rid the patient of stereotypes fixed in the mind through cultural images and public opinion. With the right, competent approach from a psychotherapist, a woman can enter this stage of her life while remaining happy and confident! In contact with
Menopause - symptoms and treatment
Treatment of menopausal syndrome is usually required for moderate to severe cases. It is carried out in three directions: non-medicinal, medicinal and hormonal.
Non-drug treatment
, non-drug treatment is mainly used
- phytotherapy; [10]
- general strengthening gymnastics, massage, physical therapy - exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, maintain joint mobility and elasticity of ligaments, slow down the loss of bone and muscle mass;
- physiotherapeutic procedures - galvanization, electroanalgesia, electrophoresis with novocaine on the collar area and other techniques;
- acupuncture;
- sanatorium-resort treatment - climatotherapy, balneotherapy, hydrotherapy.
To normalize the psycho-emotional state, psychotherapeutic techniques and relaxation methods will be useful [5].
Nutrition and diet
It is recommended to limit the consumption of animal fats, simple carbohydrates, table salt and caffeine-containing products, as well as enrich the diet with fiber, vegetable oils, and dairy products.
Non-hormonal drugs
At the second stage, non-hormonal medications :
- vitamin complexes containing vitamins A, C, E, D and B vitamins;
- herbal medicines containing substances similar to female sex hormones;
- sedatives, neuroleptics, tranquilizers;
- symptomatic remedies;
- drugs for the treatment of concomitant diseases.
Hormonal treatment
The third stage is hormonal treatment . Basic principles of hormone replacement therapy:
- only analogues of natural female hormones are used;
- low doses of estrogens are used in combination with progestogens (if the uterus is removed, isolated use of estrogens is possible - monotherapy);
- The duration of treatment with hormones is at least 5-7 years.
Various hormonal drugs are designed for different stages of menopause:
- during early menopause in relatively young women, drugs simulate a menstrual-like reaction;
- for women of the older age group who do not want to resume menstrual flow, medications that contain a much lower dosage of hormones are indicated;
- for women who have been in menopause for at least one and a half years, medications are prescribed that are aimed at preventing osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory processes of the urogenital tract and mitigating vasomotor symptoms.
Methods of administering hormones can be different: oral (orally in the form of tablets), vaginal, intrauterine, external (in the form of patches or gels) and injection.[2][3]
In each case, an individual selection of the drug by the doctor is necessary, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and contraindications.
Combating vaginal dryness during menopause
At any stage of menopause, it is possible to use products that improve the condition of the external genitalia and vaginal mucosa. They are indicated for women who have pronounced signs of atrophic changes in the skin and mucous membrane of the genital organs, accompanied by itching, a feeling of dryness, significant difficulties during sexual intercourse (up to their impossibility) and urinary incontinence (in the early stages). We are talking about the local use of hyaluronic acid preparations, which moisturizes the skin and mucous membranes to the deep layers, increases firmness and elasticity, and improves appearance.
Also in recent years, so-called laser vulvorejuvenation has been used - exposure to a special type of laser irradiation, as a result of which trophic processes in the skin and mucous membranes are improved, and the feeling of dryness and discomfort is eliminated.
Treatment of hot flashes during menopause
In addition to hormonal medications prescribed by your doctor, the following may help with hot flashes:
- avoid provoking factors, such as bright light or emotional overload;
- reduce the external temperature using an air conditioner or fan;
- choose clothes that can be easily removed if necessary [11].
Treatment of hypertension during menopause
Treatment of hypertension occurs together with a cardiologist, who prescribes appropriate medications.
Therapy for osteoporosis during menopause
All postmenopausal women are recommended to be screened for osteoporosis. Patients are managed together with an endocrinologist.
Quitting smoking
One of the important components of successfully combating the negative manifestations of menopausal syndrome is a complete cessation of smoking .[4] In women who smoke, menopausal syndrome often occurs especially severely at an earlier age, and hormone therapy while smoking can lead to severe side effects.
What is menopause
Menopause or menopause is a period of gradual decline in the reproductive function of the female body. The average age of its onset is 45–50 years.
- 45–47 years is the normal age for the onset of menopause
- Under 40 years old - early menopause
- After 55 - late menopause
This process begins with a change in the menstrual cycle - periods become irregular, discharge becomes more scanty every month. The functional activity of the ovaries decreases: they produce less and less hormones that affect the woman’s body, and conceiving a child becomes almost impossible.
The menopausal period is accompanied by not the most pleasant symptoms, but, fortunately, today, with the help of specially selected therapy, it is possible to reduce their manifestations or even get rid of them completely.
Non-drug methods
- Exercise therapy, yoga, massage.
Any physical activity of moderate intensity, as well as relaxation and stretching exercises, have a beneficial effect. Preference should be given to activities such as recreational walking, swimming, and breathing practices. - Medical nutrition.
A low-calorie diet with a predominance of greens, vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, vegetable oils and a limitation of simple carbohydrates and animal fats is recommended. A nutritionist will advise which nutritional system is suitable in a particular situation. - Physiotherapy.
To relieve symptoms, galvanization, electroanalgesia, electrosleep, light therapy, various baths and many other techniques are used. However, some physiotherapeutic procedures during menopause may be contraindicated due to the presence of concomitant diseases, including the genital area, so a detailed preliminary examination is very important. - Spa treatment.
Hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and thalassotherapy are performed as prescribed by the doctor. - Psychotherapy.
Working with a specialist helps a woman accept a new stage in her life, learn to relax, get rid of excessive anxiety, and prevent the development of depression and psychosomatic pathology.
Treatment of menopause with hormone replacement therapy and a set of measures
Symptoms of menopause and treatment of menopausal syndrome are one of the leading topics in the practical work of gynecologists. Indeed, according to statistics, about 26-48% of the female population experiences menopause as a complex of vegetative-vascular and psycho-emotional disorders and is faced with a problem.
Treatment of menopause as a dysfunctional state of the body should be carried out comprehensively. Prevention of menopausal disorders is hormone replacement therapy.
Causes of paresthesia
We found out what paresthesia of the body is. Why does it occur? The mechanism is simple: a failure in the transmission of nerve impulses occurs in the nerve root and irritation occurs. Most often this is observed when there is pressure on the nerve ending. Compressive factors can be:
- benign and malignant tumors;
- osteocondritis of the spine;
- a tourniquet that is placed around a limb to stop bleeding.
Also, paresthesia often occurs with the following diseases and conditions:
- nerve ending injuries;
- exposure to high temperatures (for this reason, paresthesia of the lips and tongue may occur);
- inflammatory processes on the part of the vessels that supply blood to the nerve roots;
- endocrinological disorders (diabetes mellitus);
- poisoning by biological toxins or industrial poisons;
- lack of B vitamins.
The causes of paresthesia of the fingers are generally the same as the causes of a similar disorder in the feet, head or torso. The larger the nerve root that is affected, the larger the area of paresthesia.
