Menopause
The only permanent thing in life is c hange itself. As a girl child grows through adolescence and then adulthood, so must she pass through menopause. Menopause is that phase of a woman’s life when her menstrual period stops permanently. The average age for this is 49.4 years, ranging from 40 to 52 years. If it occurs before 40 years, it is called premature menopause. Such women are at higher risk for 
complications of menopause.
The problems of menopause are because the ovaries stop producing the female hormone, estrogen. The symptoms of menopause may be hot flashes, palpitations, dry eyes, increased frequency or urge of urination, painful intercourse, repeated vaginal infections and sleep disorders. After menopause a woman is as prone to heart attacks and stroke as men because the protective effect of estrogen is lost. Estrogen deficiency also causes accelerated bone loss. Therefore, osteoporotic fractures of the bone can occur even with trivial trauma.
For many years, estrogens were considered as a panacea for all the problems of menopause. After the WHI Trial results in 2002 practically everyone stopped prescribing Hormone Therapy. Subsequently this trial was found to have many errors and flaws. At present, we have come back a full circle and are now prescribing hormones, for their benefits when given in the years soon after menopause, along with advice on lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and stress management. Needless to say, it is very important that hormones be taken after counseling by a doctor specialized in menopausal medicine.
