Are You at Risk of Premature Menopause?

Some women suffer the menopause before the age of 40, putting them in the category of women going through a premature menopause. The same symptoms which are attributed to a natural menopause still occur, such as emotional problems, hot flushes, vaginal dryness and a lower sex drive. However, for some women going through this early in life, the symptoms can be even more severe. Studies also suggest that women who have a premature menopause also seem to get weaker bones faster than those going through this at a later stage in life. This increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone damage. There are a number of reasons why women go through premature menopause, from genetic causes to unexpected results from surgery. Defects in the woman’s chromosomes could be a cause, such as in women with Turner’s syndrome who are born without a second X chromosome. This causes the ovaries to not develop properly, leading to menopause earlier than expected. Likewise, women who have a family history of early menopause are more likely to experience it early themselves.

 

Researchers have found that autoimmune diseases can also trigger this process – the body’s own immune system mistakes part of the reproductive system to be a threat and attacks it, damaging the ovaries and preventing them from producing female hormones. In women who have had surgery to remove the ovaries, known as a bilateral oophorectomy, menopause occurs straight away. This means she will no longer have periods and her hormone production will decrease at a rapid rate. She may also experience menopausal symptoms immediately too, such as hot flushes and a lowered sexual desire. Chemotherapy can also cause ovarian damage, leading to a premature menopause. It’s common for women who are undergoing chemotherapy to stop having periods, suffer fertility issues and even lose their fertility. It may take a few months or it sometimes happens straight away. This cause of early menopause depends on the type of chemotherapy you have, the age you are when you have it, and how long the treatment lasts for though, so you will need to discuss this with your GP. The younger you are when you undergo the chemo, the less likely you are to go through the menopause early.

 

If you think you’re suffering from premature menopause, your GP will probably ask you if you’ve noticed any changes that are commonly associated with menopause, such as vaginal dryness, irregular periods and problems sleeping. Menopause is usually only diagnosed when a woman hasn’t had a period for over twelve months. There are cases where these normal signs won’t be relevant with premature menopause diagnoses, though. This means you may have to have a blood test which measures the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which can determine if you’re going through a premature menopause. Your ovaries use this hormone to produce oestrogen, so when they stop making this your FSH levels rise. If your levels of this hormone are higher than normal, it’s likely that you’ll be diagnosed with premature menopause. There are many resources available to offer advice on this topic, as well as your GP being your first port of call for any questions you may have. Women going through the menopause can take hormone replacement therapies to combat the effects of a lowered hormone production, as well as ways to resolve issues with your sex drive. Speak to your GP if you would like to discuss medication and treatments to help you through this stage.

Categories: Causes, early menopause, hormone production, hot flushes, Menopause, Premature, premature menopause, Sex Drive, vaginal dryness, Women

How to Win Your Battle Against Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is one of the biggest sexual problems affecting men today. It affects their wellness and wellbeing both through a lack of physical, sexual pleasure and also by denting their self-confidence and self-esteem. The good news is, there are ways that you can last longer! There is no need to battle with this in silence anymore.

 

One thing you can do is to attempt to train yourself to last longer through masturbation. When you masturbate, the goal shouldn’t be to get to the point of climax as quickly as possible – as is often the case – but instead to take as much time as you can to get there! Work up to taking 15 minutes to reach orgasm. You can do this by bringing yourself close to orgasm and then stopping again to cool things down. This should help you teach your body to last longer during penetrative sex.

 

Another way to go is called the ‘squeeze technique’. When you feel that you are getting too close, too soon, stop and squeeze right below the head of the penis, applying firm pressure with your forefinger and thumb and applying specific pressure to the urethra, which runs along the underside of the penis. This pushes blood back out of the penis and can help to decrease sexual tension, making the ejaculatory response get temporarily repressed.

 

If you’re trying to last longer in bed, it’s also a great idea to work out exactly how you feel when you are going to orgasm. Recognising the pattern in yourself will better allow you to control it.

 

There are also exercises (or sexercises we might say!) that you can do to help you tighten up the muscles of the pelvic floor. When you do your kegel exercises (by contracting and releasing the muscles that stop and start the urine flow, you will have better ejaculatory control.

Categories: Ejaculation, longer, nbsp, orgasm, penis, Premature, premature ejaculation, sexual

What Everyone Ought To Know About Taking Vitamins

If you do nothing else in your life to maintain your wellness, the chances are that you take some kind of vitamin, mineral or supplement. Often unhealthy people will chuck back a few vitamin pills at the end of the day and feel like they are doing enough to boost their wellbeing and take care of their body. They will be devastated, then, to learn that a new study has shown that certain vitamin pills could actually do more harm than good, and that rather than increasing your wellness they could, in fact, shorten your life.

 

Premature death has been reported as an associated side effect of certain multi vitamins, leading to serious health concerns about taking them on a regular basis. This giant study was carried out by reviewing data taken from 67 other studies. It found that there was no convincing evidence whatsoever that antioxidant supplements increased lifespan or prevented any diseases. In addition to this, the scientists at Copenhagen University who carried out the research said that vitamins A and E, along with beta-carotene, could actually interfere with the body’s natural defence mechanisms. The scientists found that a large dose of these vitamins and supplements was likely to be linked to premature death.

 

It had previously been thought that minerals were able to stop damage to the tissues in the body through eliminating free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. This damage can lead to several diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

 

As a result of the study, scientists are advising that you should not take vitamins in pill form, but should simply try to eat well and maintain a natural balance in your diet. Vitamin A, for example, can be found in eggs, liver and oily fish, whilst Vitamin C is found in many brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.

Categories: Death, Premature, vitamin