Management of Menopause Symptoms Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Management of Menopause Symptoms. Answer: Introduction Menopause is an aeging process and typically occurs in both men and women at approximately 49-52 years of age. Male menopause is the more commonly referred to as andropause. The term is generally used to describe male hormonal changes that are related to increasing age. The condition is also known as late-onset hypogonadism or androgen deficiency. It involves a drop in testosterone production (Cunningham, 2013). On the other hand, the cessation of menstrual periods in females is referred to as menopause. It involves loss of follicles from the ovary (Murphy et al., 2013). This condition can also arise due to surgical removal of ovaries. The follicles present in the ovary lose their capability to respond to the secretion of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). A particular population survey conducted in the United Arab Emirates showed that the 48 years was the mean age for incidence of natural menopause, and it was lower than the mean age observed among people living in the West (Hamid et al., 2014). Another study showed that women living in the UAE reported less severity and fewer symptoms of menopause than women living in the western countries (Hamid et al., 2014).The assignment will illustrate the observable signs and symptoms of menopause, the data from several laboratory studies and the various treatment or interventions used to prevent its occurrence. It will further illustrate the future nursing implications to treat this condition in clinical settings. Therefore, it will help in providing a deeper understanding of the services that need to be employed to treat menopause and promote the holistic wellbeing of the target population. Symptoms Menopause is considered as a natural change. The periods generally become irregular before the incidence of menopause. The most common symptoms are observed in the form of vasomotor symptoms orhot flashes that last from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. The hot flashes are often associated with sweating, shivering,and reddening of skin, and are reported by more than 80% of women experiencing menopause. Other observable symptoms includetrouble in sleeping, sexual difficulties, vaginal dryness, itching, urine leakage, decreased libido, and mood changes (Altaweel Alharbi, 2012). Menopause increases the likelihood of getting affected with atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction. Some of the common risk factors that contribute to the condition are hypertension, tobacco smoking, increased body weight and increasedblood lipids. The risk for osteoporosis andosteopenia also rises (Topatan Y?ld?z, 2012). Hormonal fluctuations give rise to several psychological changes like irritability, mood swings, increasing anxiety, poor memory and lack of concentration. The UAE census conducted in 2010 reported that there were 468,888 Emirati women of whom 83,784 were from Dubai. At least 50% of the population was female (222,875). The census reports revealed that life expectancy is 39.4 years at 45 49 years and 34.4 years at 50 54 years (Dsc.gov.ae, 2017). Thus, it can be deduced that women live one-third of their lives beyond the incidence of menopause. Diagnosis People are often advised to undergo the Follicle-stimulating hormone test is by doctors to assess the levels of estrogen and FSH. An increase in FSH levels and decrease in estrogen levels are generally observed. The Greene Climateric Scale is aquestionnairetool used byto study menopausesymptoms. Furthermore, doctors often test for lipid profile, where an abnormal increase in low density lipoproteins (LDL) and decrease in high density lipoproteins (HDL) show an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases. Performing thyroid function tests exclude the occurrence of thyroid diseases because they share some common symptoms with menopause. Swabs are used to check pH levels of the vagina. This is due to the fact that vaginal pH levels increase to 6 during menopause (Panda et al., 2014). Treatment Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used as the standard treatment for menopause. This therapy is used to control to the psychological, vasomotor and urogenital irregularities, and osteoporosis. The routes of administration of this therapy are subcutaneous, oral, intravaginal, transdermal and intrauterine. It is most effective in treating hot flashes. However, the risks of blood clots and stroke increase upon its use (Fantasia Sutherland, 2014). The therapy has also proved effective in treating osteoporoticfracture and bone loss. Moreover, there is a concern that this therapy can increase incidence of ovarian cancer, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease among postmenopausal women. The symptoms associated with menopause are also treated by acupuncture. Results from a randomized controlled pilot study also showed that Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture were successful in reducing hot flushes and improving quality of life among postmenopausal women (Nedeljkovic et al., 2014). Recent studies provide evidence for the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat menopause symptoms. A systemic review conducted in Saudi Arabia reported improvements in vasomotor symptoms and severity of hot flashes with the use of SSRI such as, fluoxetine and venlafaxine (Shams et al., 2014). Some of the commonly used GABA analogs to treat hot flashes are pregabalin and gabapentin (Imai et al., 2013). The effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms were demonstrated by a randomized controlled trial that showed improvement of menopause related insomnia symptoms among women who practiced yoga for 12 weeks (Newton et al., 2014). Prevention and lifestyle modifications- Natural menopause cannot be prevented. However, certain lifestyle changes can be adopted that can delay onset of early menopause. Factors such as, high intake of dietary fat, smoking, high cholesterol, and caffeine consumption accelerate the onset of the physiological phenomenon. Hence, there should be a reduction in alcohol and cigarette consumption and women should consume food rich in calcium and vitamin D to avoid occurrence of menopause related osteoporosis. Balanced diet, regular exercise and maintenance of body weight will also help to prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disorders (Gold et al., 2013). A reduction in alcohol consumption also helps to reduce hot flashes and disturbances in sleep patterns. Nursing assistance Nurses, working in menopause clinics play a vital role in informing women about menopause symptoms and its management.. Nurses are responsible for assisting women to understand the potential health implications of menopause management. They formulate and lead several specialist menopause services and works towards ensuring that the services produce good patient outcomes (Sewerynek et al., 2013). It is of utmost importance to allow the patients to express their attitude and feelings about menopause. Nurses are involved in taking consultations that include psychological, physical and historical assessments. Referrals and counselling are taken by them to advise patients on complementary therapies and lifestyle modifications that will optimize long-term health outcomes. Their role requires them to encourage patients to exercise for 30 minutes, thrice a week. They also assist the patients to maintain a healthy diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Patients are advised to consume food that is low in fatty acid content. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be stated that menopause is a physiological event that occurs among all aging population. However its symptoms and degree of impact on the quality of life vary among individuals. There are several environmental and lifestyle factors that can affect that age of onset of menopause. Most common symptoms are observed in the form of physical and psychological changes. Hot flashes are most commonly seen. One of the widely prevalent management techniques is hormone replacement therapy, in addition to use of SSRI. Future recommendations These include conduction of educational sessions that provides adequate information on the age of onset, symptoms, risk factors, management and lifestyle changes to cope with menopause. Psychological assessments will help in considering and addressing individual needs. Group discussion will also provide assistance to people to discuss on their experiences, negative emotions and coping strategies related to menopause. Thus, it can be concluded that nurses play an essential role in screening women for menopause symptoms and teaching them the different management options. References Altaweel, W., Alharbi, M. (2012). Urinary incontinence: prevalence, risk factors, and impact on health related quality of life in Saudi women.Neurourology and urodynamics,31(5), 642-645. Cunningham, G. (2013). Andropause or male menopause? Rationale for testosterone replacement therapy in older men with low testosterone levels.Endocrine Practice,19(5), 847-852. Dsc.gov.ae. (2017).Home.Dsc.gov.ae. Retrieved 3 November 2017, from https://www.dsc.gov.ae/en-us Fantasia, H. C., Sutherland, M. A. (2014). Hormone therapy for the management of menopause symptoms.Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, Neonatal Nursing,43(2), 226-235. Gold, E. B., Crawford, S. L., Avis, N. 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