Men causes menopause in women
Before we see this new research let us checkout more about menopause.
What is menopause?
The menopause marks the time in a woman's life when her menstruation stops and she is no longer fertile (able to become pregnant).
In the UK the average age for the menopause is 52 (National Health Service), while in the USA it is 51 (National Institute of Aging). About one fifth of women in India experience menopause before the age of 41. The menopause is a normal part of like - it is a milestone, just like puberty - it is not a disease or a condition. Even though it is the time of the woman's last period, symptoms may begin many years earlier. Some women may experience symptoms for months or years afterwards.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
1. Irregular periods - this is usually the first symptom;
2. Lower fertility - during the peri-menopausal stage of a woman's life
3. Vaginal dryness
4. Hot flashes
5. Night sweats
6. Urinary problems
7. Disturbed sleep
8. Moodiness
9. Problems focusing and learning
10. More fat building up in the abdomen
11. Hair loss (thinning hair).
12. Loss of breast size
How to treat yourself?
Unless your symptoms are severe, you may find that some changes in your lifestyle and diet are all you need to deal with the symptoms.
Hot flashes and night sweats
· Do plenty of exercise.
· Avoid wearing tight clothing.
· Make sure the bedroom is not hot.
· Try to reduce your levels of stress.
· Remember the following commonly trigger symptoms for susceptible people: spicy food, caffeine, smoking, and alcohol.
Sleep disturbance
· Exercise regularly. However, do not exercise too late during the day. Exercising too late may keep you awake longer.
· Go to bed and get up at the same time each day - even during weekends.
· Cut out all drinks and foods that contain caffeine.
· Learn how to do deep breathing, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Moodiness
· Make sure you do not get tired - get plenty of rest.
· Do regular exercise. If you can, do strenuous exercise - check with your doctor whether this is OK for you.
· Practice yoga. Make sure you have a well-qualified trainer.
Vaginal discomfort and dryness
· Get some OTC (over the counter) water-based vaginal lubricants or moisturizers.
· Stay sexually active.
New Research-Men Responsible For Causing Menopause In Women
A team of scientists at McMaster University have discovered that men are responsible for menopause in women. Rama S. Singh, a professor in McMaster's Department of Biology, along with colleagues Jonathan Stone and Richard Morton, have found that menopause is the result of natural selection. The researchers identified that men have always had a preference for younger women when it comes to mating, which means that older women didn't have the need to continue to be fertile - as men avoided mating with them. Singh, whose research specialties include the evolution of human diversity, said that "in a sense it is like aging, but it is different because it is an all-or-nothing process that has been accelerated because of preferential mating."
Experts previously believed that menopause was a way of preventing older women from reproducing, however, this new finding, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, suggests that it is the lack of reproduction that caused menopause. Singh said that nobody had been able to explain why menopause is so unique to humans, only two other animals stop breeding relatively early in their lifespan - killer whales and pilot whales.
The "grandmother theory" suggests that women are unable to have children after a certain age so that they can assist with the upbringing of their grandchildren. A study conducted at the Universities of Exeter and Cambridge, both in England; found that females become increasingly genetically related to those they live with as they get older. Because of this, there is a motivation for older females to do what is best for the survival of those around them, creating a 'grandmother role'. However, Singh said that the theory doesn't add up, “How do you evolve infertility? It is contrary to the whole notion of natural selection. Natural selection selects for fertility, for reproduction - not for stopping it. This new theory says that older females had much less chance of reproducing, as men of all ages looked for younger mates.
Following this, genetic mutations occurred that brought on menopause among women when they reached a certain age, leaving them infertile.
Singh said, this theory says that natural selection doesn't have to do anything. If women were reproducing all along, and there were no preference against older women, women would be reproducing like men are for their whole lives. Therefore, the development of menopause didn't occur to improve survival, it only recognized that beyond a certain age fertility didn't serve any purpose. If the situation would have been reversed and women had historically only selected young males, men would be the one's losing fertility at a certain age, Singh pointed out. The researchers concluded that if the theory is true, menopause could potentially be reversed one day.
(Source- Journal PLOS Computational Biology)
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