subject: Understanding Depression And Menopause [print this page] As ladies approach midlife and menopause, one of the things to be on the lookout for is depression. While menopause is not thought to become a trigger of depressive disorders the two can occur at the same time. What is believed to become a trigger of depressive disorders is modifications in estrogen levels which take place throughout menopause. It's known that women are affected by depression more than twice as much as men and that a family background of depression can factor into this as well.
The symptoms of depressive disorders and menopause are really similar and consist of sleep conditions, hot flashes,fatigue, anxiety, and irritability. Numerous ladies relate these symptoms with the changes that menopause bring, but they may be a sign of depression that requires to become understood and dealt with. There is no reason women need to suffer from depressive disorders during menopause. It's essential that they accept the physical changes happening to their bodies throughout this time and work with their doctor to mitigate the signs and symptoms of menopause, and it is also important that they understand that depression and menopause can be mutually exclusive and both could be dealt with.
As ladies approach menopause, their menstrual cycles begin to change and begin to become unpredictable. This unpredictability of their monthly cycle is really a sign of erratic ovulation. Erratic ovulation causes unpredictable releases of the hormones estrogen and progesterone leading to mood swings, forgetfulness, hot flashes and all the other symptoms associated with menopause.
Most women going through menopause feel that they are loosing control of their bodies when in fact it is just their natural reaction to the aging procedure. This feeling of loss of control can lead to symptoms of depressive disorders. As the symptoms of both menopause and depression worsen, they start to feel that their is nothing they can do and a feeling of hopelessness falls over them. This feeling of hopelessness is a major part of depressive disorders and left untreated can lead to severe depression.
Untreated depressive disorders is really a main health danger. Researchers have discovered that depression is linked to an increased danger of heart disease and in some cases it can cause bone deterioration increasing the likely hood of osteoporosis and broken bones.
The treatment for depression and menopause can follow a two pronged approach. It is important to treat not only the depression with antidepressant medications and counseling but also to treat the symptoms of menopause too. Menopause could be treated with hormone replacement therapy where synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone are utilized to even out the woman's hormone levels.
If you are a woman approaching midlife and menopause be aware that depression could be a very real side affect of the changes which will happen to you. If you start to see the signs and symptoms of depressive disorders, it's greatest to talk to your doctor about what treatment options might work greatest for you.
