How much do you know about menopause...take the quiz!!

Answers to last Wednesdays quiz.

1. At what age does menopause typically begin?

     a. 40

     b. 45

     c. 50

     d. 55
( Menopause usually occurs sometime between age 45 and 55, but the typical age is 50, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Menopause means the permanent end of menstruation.)

2. A women is considered to be in menopause after she has missed how many menstrual cycles?

     a. 3

     b. 6

     c. 9

     d. 12

(Menopause begins at that point when you have had your last menstrual cycle, the NIA says. You won't know whether you have had your last period until you have been period-free for one year.)

3. What factors can cause premature menopause?

     a. Smoking

     b. Autoimmune disorders

     c. A woman's mother had early menopause

     d. All of the above
(The NIA says, if you smoke, you may go through menopause 1 11/2 years earlier than women who don't smoke.)

4. Hot flashes are symptoms of the premenopausal stage.  How many premenopausal women experience them?

     a. 100%

     b. 75%

     c. 50%

     d. 30%

(Hot flashes can occur several times an hour, a few times a day, or once or twice a week, the NIA says. Most women have hot flashes for about a year. Some may experience them for two to five years).

5. A blood test can help confirm if a women is beginning menopause.  The test measures the level of which of these?

     a. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

     b. Estrogen

     c. Progesterone

     d. Cholesterol

(The pituitary gland releases this hormone to stimulate the ovaries to release follicles, or eggs. A blood test that measures the hormone, along with symptoms such as hot flashes and period cessation, confirms perimenopause—the stage just before menopause.)

6. Although menopause usually does not require extra medical care, you should see your doctor if:

     a. Your periods become closer together than every 21 days

     b. Your periods last longer than seven days or are very heavy

     c. You experience bleeding between periods

     d. You experience vaginal bleeding after more than one year without a period.

     e. All of the above
 (All of these abnormal changes in menstruation could indicate a problem, so you should check with your health care provider.)

7. What is the most serious adverse effect of menopause?

     a. Hot flashes

     b. Osteoporosis

     c. Heart disease

     d. b and c

(Bones thin when ovaries stop producing estrogen. Cholesterol levels can rise, which threatens heart health).

8. How much bone loss does a women experience in the first five years of menopause?

     a. 10% over the five year period

     b. 5% over the five year period

     c. 3% - 5% annually

     d. 1% - 2% annually

(Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to help prevent bone loss.)

9. Hormone therapy minimizes some of the negative effects of menopause.  Which  of these hormones is used?

     a. Estrogen

     b. Estrogen and progesterone

     c. Testosterone

     d. Prostaglandin
(Used for a short time, hormone therapy can help relieve symptoms of menopause.)

10. If a women experiences menopause after age 50, how long should she continue using some form of birth control? 

     a. She doesn't need to use birth control

     b. 3 months

     c. 6 months

     d. 12 months

Disclaimer - The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.

I referenced the following sites for the information contained in this post -

1. http://pinnaclehealthresources.staywellsolutionsonline.com/YourFamily/Women/Tools/40,Menopause Quiz

2. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/quizzesquestions.asp?quizid=53

Monica