The average age of the menopause It is 51 years old, but for many women postmenopausal symptoms can last until age 60. This involves balancing the control of those symptoms with the potential risks of some treatments..
For most, the benefits of hormone therapy over 50 outweigh the risks, such as increased chances of vaginal bleeding, blood clots, stroke, dementia and certain cancers, because these risks are low for women in this age group. old.
But once you reach 60, that calculation begins to change. Hormone therapy is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease in those under 60, for example, but risks may increase as they age.
“Studies have shown that from the age of 60 the risks begin to increase.“says Angela Wilson, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care. “If the patient is still taking replacement hormones and is approaching 60, that’s when I start trying to taper them off,” although it’s not wise to stop taking them all at once. He adds. A sudden interruption can shock the system and cause the initial symptoms to reappear.
Again, This is not a universal recommendation.Wilson has some patients who continue low-dose hormone therapy into their 60s because their quality of life suffers too much without it. The important thing is to discuss your symptoms with your doctor and weigh the benefits and risks specific to each case.
Although many people stop seeing their gynecologist after age 65, Wilson says, there are reasons to continue, such as risk of pelvic organ prolapse, when one or more pelvic organs (such as the vagina, bladder, uterus, urethra, or rectum) that fall from their position, often bulging into the vagina. Up to half (or more) of women experience prolapse and the risk increases with age, often resulting in incontinence.
In general, the Urinary and fecal incontinence is more common after age 70but it can start much earlier, especially in women who have had complicated births, such as a vaginal delivery with a large baby, or third- or fourth-degree lacerations.
“Those women can often develop some fecal incontinence,” either leakage or urge incontinence, where they can’t get to the bathroom in time once they feel the need to go, explains Rajeev Jain, a gastroenterologist at Texas Digestive Disease Consultants. “It’s common, but Because it is perceived as something shameful, no one talks about it much.“.
Another aspect of health that they may be reluctant to talk about is sexual healthwhether the vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, or changes in your sexual desiresays Rosen. “It is unfair that women feel that because they are older they no longer matter. Focusing on sexual health is important,” she details. In that sense, she advises that, when experiencing pain, loss of libido or other sexual problems, talk to a doctor about treatment options now that there are several.
As in previous decades, Every woman should continue with most of her oncological check-ups. However, there is one exception: The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts that reviews evidence on the prevention of many health conditions, recommends that women stop to undergo cervical cancer checks from the age of 65 as long as they have undergone the appropriate check-ups up to that point and are not at high risk of suffering from it.
(You can also read: Is uterine cancer coming to an end?
In any case, it is necessary that in order not to continue with the check-ups, each woman has obtained an “adequate screening”. That is, three consecutive negative cytology tests, or two consecutive negative cytology tests with joint tests (a cytology and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) test), in the last decade.
However, if you have had a precancerous lesion, monitoring should continue for the next 20 years, even after age 65. If you are at higher risk for cervical cancer, for example due to prenatal exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol, you should discuss screening options with your doctor.
The rest of Cancer screening tests that should continue:
1) Screening of the Colorectal cancermore effective with a colonoscopy every 10 years, it is recommended up to age 75.
2) It is recommended mammograms every two years for screening breast cancer up to 74 years old.
3) Screening of the lung cancer up to age 80 for those with a 20-pack-a-day smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years) who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
As women age after menopause, they begin to lose muscle mass and bone density. Strength and resistance exercise can help keep muscles strong, which is important for reducing the risk of falls as you age. To take care of your bone health, the USPSTF now recommends that women begin getting bone screenings. osteoporosis detection at age 65.
It is very likely that you will need to put on reading glasses, as your eyesight suffers the usual decline with age. But there are other reasons for Have an eye exam every one to two years: he risk of glaucoma (a disease that damages the optic nerve of the eye) increases in people over 60 years of age, especially diabetics or those with a family history of this condition.
Hormonal changes during menopause can affect the gums, and the oral health It is closely linked to heart health, This is why dental check-ups are necessary every six months, says Julie Kim, a dentist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Older adults can also develop dry mouth, often due to medications they take, but drinking water and chewing gum can help, says Kim. If it is not enough, there are also other treatments.
As women reach age 60 and beyond, they will notice that your skin becomes thinner, dry and prone to damagesays April Armstrong, a dermatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “They need more protection,” she says, which includes being more vigilant about sun protection, staying well hydrated and using physical protection during sports or other activities that can cause bruising or skin trauma.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend routine skin cancer screening for asymptomatic adults. But many dermatologists advise people at higher risk for skin cancer, such as those with a family history or fair skin, to perform monthly self-exams and get checked annually, especially since skin cancer risk increases after age 50, Armstrong says.
Even if you have skipped the seasonal flu vaccine or the annual COVID vaccine in the past, now It’s time to start making those vaccines an annual habit. Each season, adults ages 60 and older make up the majority of flu hospitalizations and most deaths. Between 2022-2023, for example, more than half of all flu hospitalizations and seven in 10 flu deaths were among adults age 65 and older.
The following vaccines are also recommended to reduce the risk of infectious disease, hospitalization, disability, and death:
1) Adults aged 60 years or older should receive one of the two vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a respiratory disease that kills between 6,000 and 10,000 older adults each year.
2) Adults over 65 years of age are recommended to be vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia if they haven’t done it before.
3) Adults should have received two doses of the shingles vaccine after turning 50 years old. But it’s not too late if she hasn’t received both doses.
Finally, if you were born in 1957 or later, you should have already received at least one dose of the measles vaccine in childhood. But with the outbreaks currently occurring, you might consider getting a second dose if you work in health care, a long-term care facility, a daycare center, or if you’re traveling abroad.