Saturday, March 30, 2013

Coping With Menopause Depression


Depression in women is a big concern, especially later in life. Changes to their bodies can cause a female to feel less like a woman and cause her to withdraw from her normal lifestyle. Depression is treatable with both herbal and prescription medications. Some women may even need to seek professional help to deal with all the changes that are happening and the loss of the ability to conceive children. Changes in diet and exercise may be all that is needed to combat some of the symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, and weight gain.

Change of life is a natural process by which women, usually 45-55, begin to have changes physically, emotionally and mentally. Because of the changes to the women's body, depression is a big concern. This is, in part to the hormonal changes that their bodies are going through. A woman can start to have negative signs like irritability,short temper etc that would lead us to suspect that she's going through menopause. A woman naturally has a decline in her reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone, the hormone that regulates her monthly period will be produced less, causing ovulation to become less predictable. Estrogen, a female hormone, regulates the reproductive cycle. Menopausal changes will begin to occur when the level of estrogen in the body starts reducing. Women sometimes will be depressed due to these body changes. Women can develop facial or body hair, decrease in breast firmness,weight gain and irritability. This is a good time for a woman to visit with her physician, to diagnosis the "change of life".

There are multiple reasons why a woman may go through, what is called symptoms menopause... Some women may experience a early total hysterectomy, which is the removal of all the female reproductive organs. Usually, a hysterectomy is preformed due to very irregular periods, or the development of tumors or cysts. Other women may experience this, due to chemo or radiation therapy.

Symptoms of the menopause can vary from one female to the next. Depression, being of high concern, is not the only thing that a women should expect to occur. There are other changes that can occur. Vaginal dryness, pain in intercourse, vaginal itching, changes in sleep pattern or sleep disturbance, increased abdominal fat, possibly due in part to the increase in craving carbohydrates, thinning hair, acne, weight gain, memory loss, fatigue, mood changes, depression hot flashes.

Depression, one of the symptoms for menopause is also a mental disorder. One should suspect possible depression if sleep has been disturbed, sadness persists more than 2 weeks, there is a feeling of inadequacy, lack of interest in participating in particular activities,that have been an interest prior to this change. Usually there is a pre-existing history of depression prior to the signs of the menopause symptoms. If you are suffering from depressive symptoms,it is very important to go and see your doctor as soon as possible. Depression can be easily treated and should not go untreated. Women should make an appointment with their physician.. It may be that the depressed female may just need replacement hormone therapy, vitamins, antidepressants or some sort of mood altering medication, which her physician could prescribe.

There are also some life style changes and home remedies that will aid in lowering the negative symptoms and making one feel better about themselves and no female has to live with the depression.

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