Peri-Menopausal Health Problems Among Women Attending Primary Health Care Unit In Talkha City

Menopause is a physiologic transition that takes place over several years. The earliest detectable hormonal change is a fall in ovarian secretion of inhibin, with a subsequent rise in follicle-stimulating hormone and maintained or increased levels of estradiol and finally loss of the menstrual cycle and the typical symptoms of menopause including increasing hot flushes and night sweatsAs women transit the peri-menopause, cycle irregularity increases, with the more frequent occurrence of prolonged ovulatory and anovulatory cycles. Levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol fluctuate increasingly and luteal function declines. Vasomotor symptoms tend to be most frequent around the time of final menses. The peri-menopause is thus a time of cycle and hormone variability and single hormone measurements provide little useful information, with the clinical history being the most appropriate method of assessing menopausal statusIn general, many health problems have been attributed to menopause, but only vasomotor dysfunction and vaginal dryness are consistently associated with this time of life in epidemiological studies. Other common symptoms such as mood changes, sleep disturbances, urinary incontinence, cognitive changes, somatic complaints and sexual dysfunction may be secondary to other symptoms, or related to other causesImportantly, as hormonal changes during the menopausal transition directly or indirectly adversely affect quality of life, body composition and cardiovascular disease risk, maintenance of health parameters in the peri-menopausal years is crucial for a healthy post-menopauseIn addition, it should be noted that women with more negative attitudes towards the menopause in general report more symptoms during the menopausal transition