Health & Fitness Info

Menopause starts to develop in women between the ages of 35-45 years. It is a natural ageing process in which the body’s capability of producing important hormones like estrogen and progesterone decreases. The most common symptoms of perimenopause are irregular menstrual cycles, irritation and pain in the vagina and osteoporosis. Hair loss is also one of the most common symptoms of menopause.
Balding refers to the gradual loss of hair in both, men and women and it can start occurring right from the age of 12 years. It is usually milder in women. It is also observed that menopausal women who have a high number of male sex hormone also experience thinning of hair which then gradually leads to balding. The other problems that have been associated with hair loss in menopausal women are thyroid disorders, fungal infections, excess weight loss and a life full of stressful activities. The symptoms of menopause lead to gradual hair fall in women.
Poor blood circulation and clogged hair follicles will also lead in hair loss. Also it is seen that heavy medications are provided to patients suffering from menopause. These medicines come with their own side effects, hair loss being one of them. Cancer may occur in the advanced stages of menopause. It is very natural that patients with cancer also suffer from hair loss. Hair loss is irreparable and then people have to seek treatments like hair weaving and wearing wigs. Antidepressants taken by menopause patients also have powerful side effects that may lead to hair loss. The quality of hair becomes thinner, leading to split ends, dandruff and ultimately loss of hair. The other medicines that lead to hair loss are oral contraceptives, blood thinners and cholesterol lowering medication.
Testosterone replacement for menopause patients can also lead to hair loss. Women who suffer from hair loss may resort to taking prescription medicines like Rogaine with alopecia. If the medicine is given orally at prescribed doses, it promotes the quality of hair and its growth. If you experience hair loss it is necessary to visit the doctor and seek his consultation. Chances are that hair loss may not be because of menopause symptoms at all but other causes. Hair loss is something that women would not like to experience as women regard their hair a very important part of their overall personality. Women may lose confidence and their self esteem if they lose their hair.

Menopause is said to occur in women when the ovaries gradually produce less and less of estrogen and eventually the production is stopped completely. Women suffering from menopause have to get their uterus removed surgically during the final stages. In the next paragraph we discuss the 35 most common menopause symptoms.
The 35 most common menopause symptoms are:-
1) Hot flashes that may occur regularly at night with excessive sweat
2) Irregular beating of the heart at sometime or the other
3) Frequent irritation
4) Psychological problem like mood swings and tears due to lack of sleep at night
5) Insomnia or lack of sleep at night due to hot flashes and excessive sweat.
6) Irregular periods where the gap between two periods becomes shorter or longer than normal
7) The loss of sexual drive or libido.
Vaginal Dryness
9) Getting tired quickly after doing chores and tasks.
10) Frequent feelings of anxiety and a feeling of being uncomfortable.
11) Feelings of loneliness and doom
12) Difficulty in concentrating on things and mental confusion
13) Frequent memory lapses
14) Incontinence when sneezing or laughing
15) Skin irritations like itchy and crawly skin
16) Aching muscles, joints and tendons.
17) Increase pain and tension in the muscle and joints
18) Breast related disorders like breast tenderness.
19) Frequent headaches and also migraine
20) Gastrointestinal disorders like excess gas
21) Sudden bouts of bloat.
22) Depression several times a day
23) Exacerbation or excessive worrying for existing conditions
24) An increased risk of suffering from a number of allergies.
25) Excessive weight gain and obesity related disorders
26) Thinning of hair and hair loss
27) Dizziness and frequent loss of balance.
28) Irregular body odor
29) Strange sensation under the skin
30) A tingling feeling in the extremities
31) Increased bleeding in the gums
32) Bad taste in mouth and bad breath
33) Osteoporosis
34) The fingernails become soft and cracked
35) Ringing in ears also known as tinnitus.

These are the most common symptoms found in women during menopause. Women should take care to see that none of the problems occur for a long time. In case any of the problems do not subside or get cured after a considerable amount of time then it is necessary to meet the doctor at once. The doctor will be able to diagnose the menopause and the stage that it has reached. The doctor will then start treatment which includes medications, hormone replacement therapy or completely removing the uterus.

Acne is a condition which is the bane of teenagers and young adults mostly, but it can also target babies and children, cats and mature adults. Acne appears as minor skin eruptions due to inflammation of the sebaceous glands. These little glands, located on hair shafts all over the body, produce sebum, a thick, oily substance that lubricates the skin.. A hormonal imbalance?common during adolescence, menstrual periods, pregnancy, or when first using oral contraceptives?may trigger over activity of the sebaceous glands.

Male hormones (androgens) stimulate sebum production, and when sebum is secreted faster than it can exit through the pores, it may plug the hair follicle and produce a white head.

If the follicle is not plugged completely, skin pigments may oxidize and darken, forming a blackhead. Bacteria normally found on the surface of the skin may then infect the whitehead or blackhead and produce pus that causes pimples or, in more severe cases (known as cystic acne), boils.

Except in cases that cause widespread skin eruptions and scarring, acne is generally harmless and responsive to treatment.

It is most common during adolescence and can cause considerable psychological distress. Eruptions tend to wane by one’s 20’s, but may persist in some. Among women, acne may first appear in the 20s and 30s. Unexplained outbreaks of acne in older adults may be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.

Symptoms

* Pimples or skin eruptions (blackheads and whiteheads) most prominent on the face, but also found on the neck, shoulders, back, chest buttocks, and more rarely, the upper arms and thighs.

* Clusters of red, inflamed cysts in more severe cases (cystic acne)

* Thick, firm painless lumps below the surface of the skin (sebaceous cysts).

* Pockmarks and scarring from chronic acne

What Causes Acne?

* Hormonal changes (especially excessive androgen secretion) resulting in increased sebum production.

* Hereditary factors
* Certain drugs or compounds, including oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, or other hormones, as well as barbiturates, iodides, bromides, vitamin B12, anti-seizure drugs, and lithium.

* Grease, tar, heavy oils, cosmetics, tight clothing, or anything else that can physically block the pores.

* In adults, underlying medical conditions, including ovary or adrenal gland dysfunction, such as polycystic ovary disease and Cushing’s syndrome

* Other factors including climate changes, stress, and exposure to dioxin.

Prevention

* There is little evidence that dietary modifications will reduce the incidence of acne in those predisposed, although good hygiene may reduce severity
* Picking or squeezing acne lesions may increase the danger of infection and scarring.

Weight gain is one of the most common symptoms of menopause in women. It is often the symptoms of menopause that lead to weight gain. Most women gain weight as they age but they can shed those extra pounds if they put in a little bit of effort. During menopause the women gain excess weight in the abdomen area. Most of the women find weight reduction to be a difficult task. Excess fat accumulates around the stomach area and also the hips and the thighs area. Taking steps to control weight gain can go a long way in giving women confidence to lead a healthy life.
For majority of women the changes in the weight pattern begin during the perimenopause period. Perimenopause refers to early menopause or the period before actual menopause. Some of the causes of weight gain during menopause are:

1) Reduced physical activity – Menopausal women tend to get tired easily when they do physical tasks and also ultimately stop doing the tasks completely. Hence lack of physical exercise leads to excess weight gain.
2) Increased consumption of food – Women with menopause symptoms tend to eat more and as a result tend to put on more weight. By eating more food you accumulate more calories in your body which are then converted in fat ultimately leading to weight gain.
3) Slow metabolism – Metabolism refers to the body’s ability to burn calories. In case of slow metabolism the body is not able to burn the calories quickly and hence the muscle mass in the body decreases. The muscles burn more calories than fat and hence the less muscle you have, the fewer calories your body burns.
4) Genetic Factors- Genetic factors may play a big role in weight gain. Hence it is necessary to exercise and indulge in physical activities to shed those extra pounds.

Weight gain due to menopause may often lead to other serious complications as well such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. It is proved time and again that a combination of diet and exercise will help you shed weight faster. You should consult a dietician who will give you a dietician chart that you should follow strictly. Also you can do light aerobic exercises like walking and running to burn the extra fat in your body. Even if you cut back on a few hundred calories everyday it can make a lot of difference to your weight.

It may be surprising to know that cats also suffer from a condition known as kitty acne, chin acne or feline acne. The symptoms are similar to those which are found in humans afflicted with allergy, i.e. blackheads, whiteheads, and red itchy bumps which are likely to become infect, due to constant starching by the affected feline.

The condition generally starts with the appearance of black oily bumps on the chin of the pet, but rapidly progresses to the rest of the animal’s body. Because of the high level or bacteria present in litter boxes it is almost inevitable that these bacteria which form the secondary level of danger for the feline are known for their tendency to infect all cats within the household. In addition, the bacteria can spread to furniture, clothing and carpets in the house.

For the health and comfort of both the cats and their human owners, it is important to seek professional help and treatments for the feline acne condition as soon as possible after the chin-centered black spots appear.

The usual treatment for feline acne is to begin with daily cleaning using an anti-bacterial soap, followed by antibiotic or antifungal ointment, topically applied. The veterinarian may also prescribe an oral antibiotic and/ scrubbing with hydrogen peroxide. Needless to say, kitty will not enjoy any of these measures, but they are absolutely vital to the health and comfort of the cat.

Another very important factor to remember in the prevention and hopefully cure of feline acne is the danger in using plastic food and water dishes. These dishes tend to collect scratches, sometimes so minute that they are not really visible to humans, but they are present nevertheless. These scratches and imperfections are great breeding grounds for bacteria, not only those which lead to feline acne, but others as well.

You would be far safer for the health of your feline companion to replace plastic dishes with glass or metal dishes and to keep those utensil cleaned daily.

Hormonal changes in the cat can lead to outbreaks of a case of feline acne, but stressing the cat seems to be even more likely to cause problems. Stress in the cat can be caused by things which we may not even think about as humans. A cat can be stressed by a change of food, the presence of another animal or human in the household, even by moving his food dish or favorite sleeping place.

Feline acne is very difficult to eradicate, so one would be better served by putting efforts into preventing the disease.