‘Menopause generally free of untoward effects’

A medical expert, Dr Akin-tunde Odukogbe, has said that contrary to what many women think, the attainment of menopause, whether naturally or due to operation or radiotherapy, is generally free of untoward effects in most women.

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Dr Odukogbe, a consultant obstetric and gynaecologist, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, stated that even when there are complaints, these can be prevented and / or easily treated to ensure good quality of life.

According to him, menopause is a natural phenomenon and is thus not associated with complaints in the great majority of women in whom it has occurred naturally.

While complaints do occur, he said such may include feeling of internal heat, headaches, irritability, lethargy, depression, forgetfulness, weight gain, insomnia (inability to sleep), crying spells, skin changes such as wrinkles, problems associated with urination and decreased sexual drive.

Odukogbe added: “Many of these complaints associated with menopause have been found to be preventable or their impact significantly reduced by such measures as weight adjustment, reducing or avoiding excessive alcohol intake or smoking, regular exercise, adequate intake of water and relaxing sleep.”

He said that the normal age at which menopause occurs varies between 45 and 55 years, but is closely related to the age of the first menstrual period in any woman.

Dr Odukogbe stated that smoking, high intake of alcohol and certain substances produced in the body may also predispose to premature menopause.

The expert, however, said women of menopausal age should be wary of bone fractures.

According to him, “There is increased risk of heart diseases and loss of bone material making fractures to occur easily in these women. The common sites for such fractures include the forearm, spine and upper parts of the thigh bones.”

The expert also expressed concern that inadequate attention is being paid to the issue of menopause and its related complaints in those few individuals in Nigeria who develop complaints.

He added: “Studies have shown that because these women are in their middle ages when life stresses from their families, marriages and careers are prominent, physical complaints brought about by these stresses are often confused with or wrongly attributed to menopause.”

The expert said in well adjusted couples, sexual relationships during the menopausal years have been shown to improve rather than worsen, adding that some researchers have suggested that this might be due, to some extent, to the absence of fear of getting pregnant.