RP joins observance of World Menopause Day

Today is the first internatio-nal observance of World Menopause Day as declared by the International Menopause Society.

In the country, the Philippine Society of Climacteric Medicine (PSCM), the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) and Wyeth Phils. are leading the local observance of World Menopause Day.

Mood swings, irritability, pain during sexual intercourse and hot flushes specially at night are some of the most common symptoms of menopause.

Dr. Lyra Teodoro, OB-gyneco-logist of the Manila Central University Hospital, said about 90 percent of women in their late 40s will experience these symptoms and about 30 percent of them will severely suffer from these for years.

Menopause is a natural and inevitable event in a woman’s life resulting from the decrease in the ovarian production of estrogen, the predominant sex hormone in women. Smoking leads to early menopause.

Menopausal women usually complain of painful and uncomfortable sexual intercourse brought about by vaginal dryness because the decrease in estrogen causes the thinning of the vaginal lining.

Mood swings, on the other hand, include depression, loss of libido, headaches, tiredness, irritability, loss of concentration and crying spells.

If not addressed, menopause may lead to more serious and life-threatening health problems, said Dr. Lilia Luna, OB-gyneco-logist of the Far Eastern University Hospital.

Luna cited studies showing that post-menopausal women are at high risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density. Estrogen depletion reportedly accelerates the thinning of bone tissues.

Estrogen deficiency can also lead to Alzheimer’s disease, tooth loss, memory loss, cardiovascular disease and blindness because of the degeneration of the macula, a part of the eyeball.

Luna said women undergoing menopause need not lose hope as they can replenish their estrogen supply through Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT).

She said research conducted for two decades proved that HRT takes care of women’s bones and heart, and delays the onset of memory loss.

She also disproved that HRT can lead to the development of breast cancer, saying reports linking HRT to breast cancer are unfounded.

"Millions of women enter this vital stage of life everyday and they need to know their personal health risks and discuss their options such as good nutrition, exercise and HRT to look forward to many more healthy and happy years," Luna said.