Perimenopause - Menopause: Proactive care for a healthier and more peaceful life.

Perimenopause and menopause can cause many women to experience hormonal imbalances, sleep disturbances, psychological issues, and increased risk of chronic diseases and gynecological cancers. This is a time that demands more understanding and comprehensive care than ever before.

Every night, Ms. H. (55 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) woke up multiple times due to hot flashes, anxiety, and discomfort, despite having no prior medical conditions. For weeks, she suffered from insomnia, stress, decreased memory, and mood swings. The vaginal dryness during intercourse made her feel embarrassed, but she still thought it was a "normal symptom of being 50." Only after visiting the University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City did she learn that she had entered perimenopause – a stage that most women tend to ignore or endure in silence.

CHỦ ĐỘNG CHĂM SÓC SỨC KHỎE TIỀN MÃN KINH – MÃN KINH - Ảnh 1. — Associate Professor, Doctor Tran Quang Nam examines a patient.

Estrogen levels decrease

From a multidisciplinary perspective, perimenopause and menopause occur when estrogen levels decline, leading to a range of health impacts. Associate Professor, Doctor Tran Quang Nam, Head of the Endocrinology Department at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, explains that estrogen helps protect the cardiovascular system, regulate blood lipids, and maintain bone density. When estrogen levels decrease, women are more prone to hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, blood sugar imbalances, lipid disorders, and osteoporosis. This is also the time when many chronic diseases can start or progress more rapidly if not regularly monitored.

In addition, Dr. Tran Nhat Thang, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, stated that changes such as infrequent menstruation, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, pain during intercourse, and emotional disturbances are characteristic of this stage. These prolonged discomforts can directly affect quality of life and family happiness.

Dr. Thang advises women not to underestimate symptoms but to seek medical attention and undergo regular screenings for gynecological and breast cancers – a group of diseases with an increased risk at this age.

Beyond physical changes, women in perimenopause and menopause also face numerous neurological and psychological disorders. Dr. Vu Thi Thuy, a specialist in Neurology at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, states that short-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbances, and "brain fog" are common among women. Some studies even indicate that early menopause may increase the risk of Alzheimer's dementia, particularly in cases of prolonged insomnia or oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries). This highlights the importance of mental health care, which is just as crucial as monitoring endocrine or gynecological health.

Comprehensive and multidisciplinary healthcare is needed.

Doctors believe that women in the premenopausal and menopausal stages need comprehensive and multidisciplinary healthcare. Besides appropriate hormone therapy, clinical examinations, hormone testing, bone density measurements, psychoneurological assessments, gynecological counseling, nutrition, and exercise are all necessary. Methods such as endocrine therapy, sleep improvement, lifestyle adjustments, and stress management can be highly effective if individualized and properly monitored by specialists.

Ms. H.'s case illustrates that perimenopause and menopause are not just physiological milestones, but also reminders for women to pay more attention to their bodies. Early recognition and proper care help women proactively manage their health, maintain quality of life, and confidently enter this new phase with a strong mindset.

To support women on their healthcare journey, the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with Abbott Vietnam, is implementing the "Comprehensive Health Consultation Program for Premenopausal and Menopausal Women".