Menopause Archive

More than 10 million of the nation’s 19 million cancer survivors are women, 80% of whom are 60 or older. Cancer survivors going through menopause may not be able to use systemic hormone therapy if their cancer was hormone-driven, but other measures can provide symptom relief. These include various medications and lifestyle modifications such as cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, acupuncture, and regular exercise. Some women who can’t use systemic hormone therapy may still try vaginal estrogen to ease vaginal dryness, some urinary symptoms, or painful sex.

Burning mouth syndrome affects about 2% of people, with women up to seven times more likely than men to be diagnosed. Symptoms include burning sensations in the lips, mouth, or throat as well as stabbing pain, tingling, a sour or metallic taste, or the sense that something is crawling inside the mouth. Women’s hormone dips during perimenopause and beyond may play a role in the condition, and stress and anxiety are also considered risk factors. To confirm the diagnosis, doctors must first rule out other potential causes of symptoms.

Menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, called vasomotor symptoms, are linked in research to higher odds of dementia and cardiovascular disease. But studies don’t necessarily account for other health and lifestyle factors that influence brain and heart health. Women who are physically active and have a lower body mass index are less likely to become cognitively impaired. Disrupted sleep, which is common for women with vasomotor symptoms, may also contribute to cardiovascular and cognitive problems.

Using hormone therapy, which involves taking estrogen and sometimes progesterone, doesn’t stop or slow the approach of menopause. The arrival of menopause is determined by women’s ovaries, not by the amount of these hormones in the body.