“Is it true that it is now possible to determine the onset of menopause without leaving home with the help of some kind of pharmacy test? How accurate is this diagnosis? ”

Indeed, the so-called “menopause test” has appeared in pharmacies. It is based on the detection of elevated levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in the urine. During menopause, this parameter is always high. However, in practice the situation is not as simple as it seems. Do not think that with the help of a simple home test you can pronounce a verdict on your female health. The fact is that an elevated level of FSH occurs in women and a normal variant. The menstrual cycle is generally preserved, and there is even a chance of pregnancy. However, if a lady does such a test and it turns out to be positive, she may experience stress. And against its background, an emotional menopause may well come. Therefore, to perform such testing, if you have just started to go astray, probably not worth it. Another thing is if your period disappears for several months. If you are concerned about pronounced hot flashes, sweating, drops in blood pressure. However, in this case, the test has an auxiliary role. It is safer to turn to a competent gynecologist-endocrinologist who will help to deal with the phenomena that have arisen and offer the best solution to your problems.

“I heard this point of view: menopause is good for a woman if she suffers from some gynecological ailments. Therefore, even drugs appeared that cause artificial menopause. What diseases can be cured with their help? ”

With the onset of menopause, a woman may indeed disappear some past disorders. First of all, those associated with cyclical changes in the hormonal background. These are uterine fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, mastopathy, premenstrual syndrome. Therefore, after menopause, these diseases often do not touch, but wait for the natural resolution of problems. As for drugs that create a reversible state of menopause, this is not a novelty at all. They have long been used in the treatment of endometriosis, adenomyosis and uterine fibroids in women of reproductive age. The bottom line is that they temporarily “turn off” cyclic processes in the ovaries. Hormonal tissue stimulation stops. Accordingly, the nodes of the fibroids and foci of endometriosis are reduced in size.

However, during such treatment, the effects of a real climacteric syndrome often develop. This is due to a decrease in the level of female hormones. Therefore, drugs for artificial menopause are prescribed strictly individually and take a short time under the supervision of a doctor.

“I’m approaching the age of menopause. Is it possible to predict how this period will proceed, how long and difficult it will be? ”

Your question already has a negative attitude towards menopause. However, you do not need to take menopause as a disease. This is only a transition to a new, no less long stage in life. And for some women, this period can become even more comfortable. Menstruation-related illness disappears. The risk of an unwanted pregnancy disappears. Gynecological diseases that create many problems pass independently. Yes, in some women this transition is more difficult. But it depends on the “deterioration” of the body. From the state in which you approached this milestone. Of course, frequent illnesses, injuries, exposure to nicotine, alcohol, chemistry weaken the body. Depleted resources due to which a healthy person easily overcomes hormonal changes. The severity of menopause is also affected by heredity, the absence or small number of births, a short period of breastfeeding.

But if you want to enter a new period of life without problems, try to prepare for it. To do this, first of all, you need to lead an active lifestyle. Regular exercises keep your muscles toned, and your hormonal background depends on their condition. An important role is also played by the normalization of the diet. Your daily diet should include fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, lean meats, and fiber-rich foods. Consumption of salt and alcohol must be reduced. And quit smoking altogether. And of course, do not forget about the correct daily routine. If in youth the body still “forgave” you sleepless nights and work without days off, now it’s beginning to “be offended”.

“I am 47 years old. Monthly periods began to come with great delays and are often plentiful. Is there anything to be done or just endured when the perestroika ends? ”

Irregular periods – a sign of impending menopause. But if the delays are long, and the bleeding is heavy, you do not need to endure. It is necessary to go to the gynecologist. The fact is that during this period, the growth of the uterine mucosa often occurs. A condition called “endometrial hyperplasia” is forming. Functional ovarian cysts also grow. The longer the delay, the greater the change may develop. When the thickness of the endometrium reaches a critical size, bleeding occurs. Often, in connection with this, women end up in a hospital for curettage. But such a development can be prevented. To do this, you need to perform an ultrasound at the very beginning of the menstrual delay. On it, the doctor will determine the thickness of the endometrium and will be able to prescribe you a drug containing the hormone progesterone on time.

In addition, the doctor may recommend for this period either hormone replacement therapy or a hormonal contraceptive drug. They will allow you to avoid a repetition of the situation in the future.

“In my life at 44, the long-awaited late love happened. Even the idea arose to have a baby. I understand that you can go to the clinic and do IVF. But I would like to get pregnant on my own. Are there any chances? ”

There are chances. Sometimes it happens that even with very irregular periods, a temporary recovery of the cycle occurs. Previously disappeared ovulation returns, and a woman can conceive a child. By the way, this event is greatly facilitated by an emotional upsurge.

To more accurately find out your chances of pregnancy, you need to donate blood for hormones – FSH, estradiol and progesterone, and perform an ultrasound of the genital organs. Moreover, it is imperative to determine the so-called ovarian reserve of the ovaries – to count in them the number of follicles capable of development and fertilization. If they are, then they will advise you on drugs that will help these follicles “wake up”. And, accordingly, increase the chances of conception in a natural way.

“I would like to alleviate the symptoms of beginning menopause. “With what means is it better to start – with homeopathic or immediately with hormones?”

Herbal remedies and homeopathic remedies are, of course, milder. Most often they are prescribed for mild forms of menopausal syndrome. But for some women, such drugs do not help. Therefore, you have to resort to a more serious “doping” – hormone replacement therapy. However, two fundamental points must be kept in mind here. Firstly, HRT is not an elixir of youth that will solve all problems at once. Of course, female sex hormone preparations do a lot of useful things. Including – they provide prevention of atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. But at the same time, there is a risk of side effects – the development of venous blood clots, increased migraines.

Also, the question of a slight increase in the risk of breast and endometrial cancer has not yet been addressed. So before prescribing a drug, you need to weigh all its pros and cons for a particular person. Modern tools for HRT are very diverse. They differ in the type and dose of hormones, in the regimen of administration and method of administration. So, in addition to tablets, hormonal plasters, gels, spirals and even implants are produced. But no matter which option you choose with your doctor, you will have to adhere to an unshakable rule. While they work, you need to visit a gynecologist once a year. Donate blood, do an ultrasound and mammogram.