Fibroids after menopause Are Less Noticeable Because They Decrease In Size

Fibroids growth among women is very common and at least a fifth of all women will report this condition while this percentage rises to eighty percent when they attain the age of fifty or more. Fibroids are really growths or tumors comprising muscle cells as well as tissues along the walls of the uterus. There is yet no real certainty amongst doctors about the exact causes of fibroids though theories abound with factors such as hormonal, genetics, environment as well as all three of these factors taken together contributing to fibroids’ occurrence.

Fibroids Can Be Caused By Estrogen

On the other hand, menopause is the stopping of monthly flow of blood in a woman who, if she does not experience menstrual flow for a whole year, is deemed to be menopausal. The cause of fibroids can be traced to estrogens such as estradiol, which help it to grow though fibroids after menopause may not be so noticeable. This may be because estrogen levels are usually high during the early stages of menopause.

Fibroids after menopause will not be noticeable because they decrease in size after menopause especially when the woman concerned does not take estrogen replacement. However, fibroids after menopause may not totally disappear and a small nucleus of the fibroid will still be remaining, which can once more be stimulated if some special kind of hormonal conditions become existent again.

Fibroids after menopause can often go undetected and women may fail to perceive the condition and even doctors may not feel the fibroids on examination of the pelvic region in most cases. This may be due to the fact that fibroids after menopause are below the resolution of ultrasound especially when there is no additional estrogen.

Thus, by taking estrogen as well as progestin replacement theory, fibroids after menopause may once more grow in the uterus of the woman, though the exact level of fibroids after menopause growth is yet to be ascertained by the medical fraternity. In any case, it is progestin that is a major cause of fibroids after menopause growth rather than estrogen.

However, not all estrogen will cause the growth of fibroids after menopause because weak estrogen such as estriol does not seem to cause the fibroids to grow back once more. It is therefore better to get conjugated estrogen of which estrone is predominant, or to use estriol instead of synthetic ethinyl estradiol, or even estradiol that occurs naturally for fibroids after menopause treatment.

The Truth about Male Menopause

While menopause for women gets plenty of attention from the medical profession, male menopause is a lesser known but highly common issue as well. Some studies show that up to 40% of men from the ages of 40-60 will experience some symptoms of male menopause. Although men do not suffer from the defined hormonal drop that occurs in women, they do see a decline in the male hormone, testosterone, during the latter half of their lives. This decrease can result in symptoms just like female menopause can, but the symptoms of male menopause can be more subtle in nature. However, some of the symptoms of this type of menopause can occasionally become severe enough to interfere with daily life, which is why some men seek medical help to find relief for their symptoms.

Symptoms of Male Menopause

While there is still some disagreement as to whether the symptoms of male menopause can be attributed directly to the decrease in testosterone, some of the common complaints of men include depression, fatigue, moodiness and sexual problems. For some men, these symptoms of male menopause can be greatly alleviated with the help of testosterone replacement therapy. This type of treatment can be particularly helpful for sexual problems, such as a loss of libido. However, testosterone replacement therapy does come with risks, so you will need to discuss with your doctor whether this is the best treatment for you. There are also lifestyle changes that you can make that can greatly reduce the symptoms of male menopause, such as changing your exercise and diet programs, cutting back on alcohol consumption and quitting smoking. You can also talk to your doctor about other types of treatment, like antidepressants or impotence treatments that will help you to deal with some of your particular symptoms.

Diagnosing Male Menopause

If you are at this stage of life, and you are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, you can see your doctor to get a definitive diagnosis. Your doctor will base his diagnosis on a physical exam and a list of your symptoms. There are also blood tests that can be done to test for male menopause. These blood tests will check the levels of testosterone in your body, as well as the levels of other hormones. If your hormone levels are indeed low, you and your doctor can decide together about what type of treatment for male menopause will be the best for you. The good news is that there are ways to get a handle on your symptoms and get your life back as well.

Menopause And Pregnancy:  Miserable Together

You think you might be pregnant.  But you’ve been having menopausal symptoms for years.  Your period even stopped six months in a row, then started up again, only to stop again.  Menopause and pregnancy – it couldn’t be possible, could it?  Yes, it can, although it’s very rare.  Go for a pregnancy test as soon as you can.

Just A Little Bit Menopausal

Although you can’t be just a little bit pregnant, you can be a little bit menopausal.  One of the main reasons menopause and pregnancy occurs is that women go through different events that differs for each women.  Although missing your period for six months while having other menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings usually means your body is through changing, it is not always the case.  Sometimes there’s that one straggler egg that just hangs back for attention.  So you really need to continue any birth control practices until you start getting Social Security, just to be on the safe side.  Either that or get your man to have a vasectomy.  But keep in mind; accidents do happen, especially in bed.

Now You Tell Me

If you discover you are pregnant, then make a thorough and careful decision, just like you would have to do if you got pregnant when you were younger.  You must take into consideration your health history, your financial situation and whether you have had children already.  If you have never had children and are over 40, the chances are huge that you will have a miscarriage.  Your body is under the tremendous strain of menopause.  Menopause AND pregnancy might really hurt your body permanently, as well as the health of the baby.  The choice is yours, depending upon where you live and what your religious attitudes to abortion are.

Can both mother and baby survive menopause and pregnancy?  Very rarely, yes.  Usually that happens only to older women in good health who regularly exercise, eat healthily and who have had children already.  It is up to you to decide whether to take the chance or not.  It’s not entirely your fault that you have both menopause and pregnancy.  You are just like the person who lives in a flood zone or in Tornado Alley.  Don’t beat yourself up over this.

Prognosis:  Grim

The only way to deal with menopause and pregnancy is to not get pregnant during menopause or pre-menopause (also called “perimenopause”).  Unless you are Ms. Olympia and have more kids than you’ve had hot dinners, menopause and pregnancy tends to end in heartbreak.  But this baby could also kill you.  I’m not trying to scare you – I’m telling you the truth so you can make the best decision for you.