Can Menopause Affect My Sex Life
After menopause, your body has less estrogen. This major change in your hormonal balance can affect your sex life. Many menopausal women may notice that theyre not as easily aroused as before. Sometimes, women also may be less sensitive to touch and other physical contact than before menopause.
These feelings, coupled with the other emotional changes you may be experiencing, can all lead to a decreased interest in sex. Keep in mind that your body is going through a lot of change during menopause. Some of the other factors that can play a role in a decreased sex drive can include:
- Having bladder control problems.
- Having trouble sleeping through the night.
- Experiencing stress, anxiety or depression.
- Coping with other medical conditions and medications.
All of these factors can disrupt your life and even cause tension in your relationship. In addition to these changes, the lower levels of estrogen in your body can actually cause a decrease in the blood supply to the vagina. This can cause dryness. When you dont have the right amount of lubrication in the vagina, it can be thin, pale and dry. This can lead to painful intercourse.
Myth #: The First Sign Of Menopause Is Hot Flashes
Despite the fact that menopause and hot flashes are almost synonymous in our society, your first sign of menopause could be any of the following:
- Fatigue
- Irritability, mood swings, depression and/or anxiety
- Irregular periods
- Feeling overwhelmed
- PMS-like symptoms, including stronger cramps, bloating, breast tenderness or headaches
Its also important to remember that theres no set pattern for symptoms. You may experience one or many, and each symptom can range dramatically in severity and frequency. Plus, with such a wide variety of symptoms, its no wonder that women may not immediately connect them to menopausal hormonal imbalance. This is especially true when symptoms overlap with adrenal or thyroid imbalances. If youre not sure whether hormonal, thyroid or adrenal imbalance is causing your symptoms, take our quick 15-question Symptom Checker right now.
Orgasm For Women After Menopause
Some of the intricacies of processing intimate places can eliminate the likelihood of discomfort during intercourse, thereby increasing the chances of orgasm after menopause. To prevent the occurrence of painful manifestations that often happen during sex in menopause, it is necessary to follow simple rules for caring for the intimate area:
- eliminate aggressive hygiene products from use;
- use only liquid hypoallergenic soap;
- purchase in the pharmacy special lubricants intended for use before intimate contact.
One of the options for the orgasm after menopause is lubricants. They are used in the absence of a sufficient amount of natural lubrication in the vagina and insufficient sexual arousal often observed during menopause. Lubricants help moisturize the vaginal mucosa, prevent the appearance of microcracks, and practically do not allow the occurrence of pain, as a result of which they have a positive effect on orgasm, eliminating the increased sensitivity of the mucous membrane and dryness of the vagina.
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How Does Menopause Affect My Bladder Control
Unfortunately, bladder control issues are common for women going through menopause. There are several reasons why this happens, including:
- Estrogen. This hormone plays several roles in your body. It not only controls your period and promotes changes in your body during pregnancy, estrogen also keeps the lining of your bladder and urethra healthy.
- Pelvic floor muscles. Supporting the organs in your pelvis your bladder and uterus are called the pelvic floor muscles. Throughout your life, these muscles can weaken. This can happen during pregnancy, childbirth and from weight gain. When the muscles weaken, you can experience urinary incontinence .
Specific bladder control problems that you might have can include:
- Stress incontinence .
- Urge incontinence .
- Painful urination .
- Nocturia .
Can You Ovulate With An Ovarian Cyst
![Medical Encyclopedia](https://img.healthyhormonesclub.com/wp-content/uploads/medical-encyclopedia-function-changes-during-the.gif)
Ovarian cysts can result in abnormal ovulation, and according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine ovulation dysfunction accounts for 25 percent of female infertility cases. Large ovarian cysts or those resulting from endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome can hamper a womans fertility.
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Top Advices For Husbands After Hysterectomy
Any major surgical procedure can have a big effect on a relationship, and hysterectomies are no exception. Due to the sensitive nature of the surgery, many men struggle with how to care for and interact with their wives following a hysterectomy procedure. The best advice for husbands after hysterectomy is simply to continue treating your wife with love, respect, and attention. To avoid making any major mistakes, follow these dos and donts of maintaining your relationship after a hysterectomy.
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What Are Some Of These Challenges And Are They Normal
Challenges such as vaginal atrophy, chronic urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and postmenopausal bleeding most often occur after menopause, in part due to an estrogen deficiency. They can have a major impact on a womans wellbeing.
Women often associate these issues with getting older, thinking it is normal to experience them once you reach a certain age. But just because these issues are common does not mean they are normal, or that you are doomed to suffer because you are aging. Your womens health provider can help you find management methods to achieve and maintain a better quality of life. Lets talk through some of the most common post-menopausal challenges women face but often hesitate to bring up with their provider.
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Postmenopause And Synthetic Hormones
Hormone replacement therapy is one of the most popular treatments used by premenopausal and postmenopausal women in the United States. HRT works much in the same way that phytoestrogenic herbs do, by reintroducing estrogen into a woman’s body, thereby balancing her hormone levels.
HRT also has some serious disadvantages. Most notably, a 2002 study revealed that women who take synthetic hormones in the form of HRT are significantly increasing their risk of developing heart disease, blood clots, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.
Hormonal changes associated with postmenopause are what causes uncomfortable symptoms that many women experience. While these symptoms are normally not debilitating, they can be frustrating, and many women seek to treat them naturally. Check out the following link to learn more about the different symptoms of postmenopause.
- Love, S. . Menopause and Hormone Book. New York: Three Rivers Press.
- University of Maryland Medical Center. . Menopause. Retrieved April 1, 2016, from http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/menopause
Venous Thrombosis And Hrt
Venous thromboses are blood clots that form inside veins. Women under 50 years of age, and women aged 50 to 60, face an increased risk of venous thrombosis if they take oral HRT. The increase in risk seems to be highest in the first year or two of therapy and in women who already have a high risk of blood clots. This especially applies to women who have a genetic predisposition to developing thrombosis, who would normally not be advised to use HRT.
Limited research to date suggests the increased risk of clots is mainly related to combined oestrogen and progestogen in oral form, and also depends on the type of progestogen used. Some studies suggest a lower risk with non-oral therapy or tibolone.
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In Support Of Ovarian Conservation
The risk of developing ovarian cancer after hysterectomy with ovarian conservation performed for benign disease is 40% lower than with women who do not undergo hysterectomy., However, performing EO to reduce cancer risk at the time of hysterectomy may unintentionally cause more deaths from all causes by age 80 than the number of lives saved from ovarian cancer.
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Why Estrogen Dominance Occurs After Menopause
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Can A Woman Still Produce Estrogen After Hysterectomy
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. Also to know is, does a woman still produce estrogen after menopause?
All women produce the female hormone oestrogen; however, it’s made differently by the body before and after menopause. After menopause , monthly menstrual periods stop. The body still makes small amounts of oestrogen by changing hormones called androgens into oestrogen.
Beside above, can a woman still come after a hysterectomy? A hysterectomy is a surgery to remove a woman’s uterus . During the surgery the whole uterus is usually removed. Your doctor may also remove your fallopian tubes and ovaries. After a hysterectomy, you no longer have menstrual periods and cannot become pregnant.
In this way, can you produce estrogen without ovaries?
Without the ovaries in play, the brain took over, creating new estrogen that washed over the brain in large, rapid pulses. In the second experiment, Kenealy stimulated the hypothalamus directly using a mild electric current, causing it to release estrogen.
What are the side effects of not taking hormones after hysterectomy?
ET also helps decrease other menopause symptoms, such as vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and moodiness related to hormone changes.
- ET slightly increases your risk of stroke, and blood clots.
- Side effects of ET may include breast tenderness, bloating, and upset stomach.
- ET may increase your risk of gallstones.
Other Treatments For Menopausal Symptoms
![How To Prevent Menopausal Weight Gain](https://img.healthyhormonesclub.com/wp-content/uploads/how-to-prevent-menopausal-weight-gain.jpeg)
Studies have shown that some prescription medications can reduce hot flushes and sweats. These treatments may be an option if HRT cannot be used for health or other reasons, and should be discussed with a doctor.;
The herbal medicine, black cohosh, may take the edge off hot flushes and sweats, but there is no data to support long-term use. There is also a rare liver condition that may be associated with the use of black cohosh.;
Other complementary and alternative medicines have not been shown to be effective for menopausal symptoms when compared with dummy or placebo treatment in research studies.;
Commercially available vaginal moisturisers may reduce vaginal dryness if used regularly. Consult your doctor about what will work best for you.
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Will You Go Into Premature Menopause
You may have heard that your hormone levels drop after a hysterectomy, but that isnt accurate. Your uterus, cervix, and vagina arent part of your endocrine system, which means theres no effect on your hormones, if they must be removed.
You can have one ovary removed and, as long as it stays healthy, it produces the hormones you need. Its different when both ovaries are removed, however. A bilateral oophorectomy causes an abrupt loss of hormones. As a result, you enter premature menopause.
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What Are The Types Of Hormone Therapy
There are two main types of hormone therapy :
- Estrogen Therapy: Estrogen is taken alone. Doctors most often prescribe a low dose of estrogen to be taken as a pill or patch every day. Estrogen may also be prescribed as a cream, vaginal ring, gel or spray. You should take the lowest dose of estrogen needed to relieve menopause symptoms and/or to prevent osteoporosis.
- Estrogen Progesterone/Progestin Hormone Therapy : Also called combination therapy, this form of HT combines doses of estrogen and progesterone .
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Natural Solutions For Dryness
At menopause, vaginal blood flow falls. Dryness and irritation can occur, and bacteria infections that pass to the urinary tract are more likely.
What is to be done? First of all, even after the ovaries stop, the adrenal glands and the fat tissue continue to contribute to estrogen production after menopause. In addition, phytoestrogens in plants provide weak estrogen effects. Soy products, such as tofu, tempeh, and miso, contain huge amounts of these natural compounds.
The plant-derived estrogen and progesterone creams described above can be helpful. Used on a regular basis, these creams maintain a moist vaginal lining. However, please note that they should not be used as a sexual lubricant. Estrogen cream is a medication, not a lubricant, and it goes through any skin it touches, including mens. Many women prefer to avoid hormone creams entirely and use ordinary lubricants or moisturizers instead.
What Happens After Menopause
As you wind down from the menopause, your body continues to go through a lot of changes. While your hormone levels adjust to a new normal, you can face changes to different parts of your body, and your health.
Common post menopause symptoms:
1. Your hot flushes will stop – eventually
As your hormones settle down, so will perimenopausal symptoms like hot flushes. Hurrah! However, they may continue for up to 8 years – and things might get worse before they get better. “Leading up to menopause, your oestrogen levels fluctuate. When they’re high, you don’t have symptoms,” gynaecologist Dr. Kevin Audlin explains. “But when you go into menopause and there’s a complete lack of oestrogen, you start to notice those symptoms more.”
2. Your breasts may look different
Postmenopausal breasts may shrink, change shape, lose firmness and become more prone to lumps. This is because weight can fluctuate during the menopause, meaning your breasts lose their elasticity. Time to go for that bra fitting.
3. Your weight distribution will change
Fat is less likely to settle on the hips and thighs post menopause – but more likely to settle on the waistline. It’s thought that the body attempts to hoard’ oestrogen in fat cells around the belly area, but experts warn that this kind of fat has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. Discover our tips to help you deal with menopause weight gain here, if you are concerned.
4. Sex may become more painful
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What Are The Long
There are several conditions that you could be at a higher risk of after menopause. Your risk for any condition depends on many things like your family history, your health before menopause and lifestyle factors . Two conditions that affect your health after menopause are osteoporosis and coronary artery disease.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, a “brittle-bone” disease, occurs when the inside of bones become less dense, making them more fragile and likely to fracture. Estrogen plays an important role in preserving bone mass. Estrogen signals cells in the bones to stop breaking down.
Women lose an average of 25% of their bone mass from the time of menopause to age 60. This is largely because of the loss of estrogen. Over time, this loss of bone can lead to bone fractures. Your healthcare provider may want to test the strength of your bones over time. Bone mineral density testing, also called bone densitometry, is a quick way to see how much calcium you have in certain parts of your bones. The test is used to detectosteoporosis and osteopenia. Osteopenia is a disease where bone density is decreased and this can be a precursor to later osteoporosis.
If you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, your treatment options could include estrogen therapy.
Coronary artery disease
- The loss of estrogen .
- Increased blood pressure.
- A decrease in physical activity.
- Bad habits from your past catching up with you .
Why Do Women Have Hysterectomies
Hysterectomies are most often done for the following reasons:
- Uterine fibroids common, benign tumors that grow in the muscle of the uterus. More hysterectomies are done because of fibroids than any other problem of the uterus. Sometimes fibroids cause heavy bleeding or pain.
- Endometriosis another benign condition that affects the uterus. It is the second leading reason for hysterectomies. It occurs when endometrial tissue begins to grow on the outside of the uterus and on nearby organs. This condition may cause painful menstrual periods, abnormal vaginal bleeding and loss of fertility.
- Uterine prolapse a benign condition in which the uterus moves from its usual place down into the vagina. Uterine prolapse is due to weak and stretched pelvic ligaments and tissues, and can lead to urinary problems, pelvic pressure or difficulty with bowl movements. Childbirth, obesity and loss of estrogen after menopause may contribute to this problem.
- Cancer the reason for about 10 percent of all hysterectomies. Endometrial cancer, uterine sarcoma, cervical cancer, and cancer of the ovaries or fallopian tubes often require hysterectomy. Depending on the type and extent of cancer, other kinds of treatment such as radiation or hormonal therapy may be used as well.
- Hyperplasia thought to come from too much estrogen and occurs when the lining of the uterus becomes too thick and causes abnormal bleeding.
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