Menopause is a natural process of reproductive aging. It starts from slowing of the follicular activity and results in menstrual cycle termination. Most of the women start experiencing menopause symptoms by the mid 40-s. Hormonal imbalance during the menopause period affects physical and emotional state of a woman and can last for up to 2 years. Unpleasant physical symptoms may include hot flashes and the increased night sweating, hair loss and weight gain, incontinence and dizziness, loss of libido and vaginal dryness, bloating and many others. Emotional health can be significantly affected by the frequent mood swings and sleep disorders. Women often find it hard to stay focused and remember things.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the primary approach doctors use to balance the body systems. Along with the benefits, HRT has some serious side effects. The worst of them is an increased blood clotting risk.
Genetic testing can reveal which factors are contributing to the blood clotting you carry in your genes. Based on the results, certified practitioner can choose the combination of hormones that will have minimal side effects.
Studies show that the timing of menopause is highly inherited. Usually the menopause age of the mother is only slightly different from her daughter’s, with a few exceptions. Rare genetical mutations can speed up the reproductive aging, but they are not always inherited. So, even if the mother experienced the menopause at the age of 40, it does not necessarily mean that her daughters will follow this path. The majority of women start experiencing the menopause symptoms around their 50-th birthday.
Among the non-genetical factors affecting the age at menopause are smoking and drinking, ovarian surgeries and chemotherapy. Smoking is the most influential of them; it significantly speeds up the beginning of the menopause. Nicotine, contained in the cigarettes, is highly damaging and toxic particularly for the ovaries. Alcohol has similar effects; some research argues that high doses of caffeine can also contribute to the early menopause onset.
Ovarian surgeries damage the tissue responsible for the hormone production and regulation and can trigger early menopause.
Chemotherapy can cause temporary or permanent menopause. In the case of temporary menopause, the reproductive function returns after the recovery period, however, women experienced chemotherapy in the young age is expected to have earlier menopause. Other factors like the age the first menstruation began and the use of hormonal birth-control methods, pregnancies and breastfeeding did not show a significant impact on the menopausal age.
For the women over the age of 45, the indicator of the approaching menopause is at least three skipped periods in the row. Genomics-based Personalised Healthcare would help you to accomplish your health goal during this transition period. Visit our DNA Profiling services page to get more information.
