Welcome to our women’s reproductive health nuggets with Dr. Margaret K. Kilonzo, a Gynaecologist and Gynaecological Oncologist, Upper Hill Medical centre, 4C.

MENOPAUSE

This week let’s take a few minutes to talk about menopause.

Natural menopause is the permanent cessation of menstrual periods, it is diagnosed retrospectively after a woman has had 12 months of no periods without any other identifiable natural or disease as a cause. The average age at menopause is 51 years of age but it can occur any time after age 40 years. Menopause occurring before age 40 years is associated with adverse health outcomes and requires treatment to prevent ill-health. Menopause marks a complete, or near complete, ovarian ‘egg’ depletion, resulting in low estrogen levels.

Menopause is preceded by a period of transition known as perimenopause which is characterised by irregular periods with intermittent symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes. Hot flushes are the commonest symptom of menopause after cessation of menses. Hot flashes typically begin as a sudden feeling of hotness centered on the upper chest and face that quickly involves the whole body. The hotness sensation lasts from two to four minutes, it commonly occurs together with excessive sweating, with or without awareness of the heartbeat, and it is sometimes followed by chills and shivering, and a feeling of anxiety. Other symptoms of menopause include: Anxiety and depression, sleep disturbances, memory loss or ‘brain fog’, vulval and vaginal dryness with resultant sexual dysfunction and urinary symptoms among others. In the long term, the low estrogen levels in menopausal women are associated with bone loss also known as osteoporosis, heart disease, and dementia.

As highlighted above, menopause can cause a myriad of distressing signs and symptoms that lower the quality of life of affected women, affect their productivity and has long term bad health effects. While menopause cannot be prevented it can be managed to alleviate the signs and symptoms while preventing chronic conditions such as Osteoporosis. This treatment is individualized for each woman after assessment to confirm the diagnosis, rule out other possible causes of her symptoms, and assess her risks regarding some of the menopause treatment options.

Menopause is natural and generally women are cultured to endure it as opposed to seeking medical care.  It is not surprising that despite up to 80% of postmenopausal women suffering due to menopausal symptoms only 20% or less seek medical treatment. Menopausal symptoms can be treated by the Gynaecologist during other well woman services such as Pap smear/HPV DNA test, breast screening etc as well as during other visits to the Gynaecologist due to illness. Change the narrative, be among the women who choose to seek care to get relief from menopause signs and symptoms and to prevent ill-health associated with menopause.

At Rosetta Women’s Clinic, located at Upper Hill Medical Centre (UHMC) on Ralphe Bunche Road off Ngong road near Nairobi hospital, Upper Hill, our Gynaecology Consultant will help you navigate the journey of the post menopausal period.

Contact us: margaret@rosettaclinic.co.ke, 0115 08 02 02.