Treatment of a menopausal woman in the practice of a primary care physician Review article

Abstract

The aim of the article is to acquaint primary care physicians with the issues of therapy of female patients with menopausal symptoms, and to present two points of view – a gynaecologist and a psychiatrist. By introducing dialogue of MD’s of two different specialties, we wanted to emphasize that the symptoms of menopause may affect various spheres and are not only somatic symptoms, such as hot flashes or sweating, but also can be associated with the occurrence of mood disorders, difficulties in controlling emotions or sleep disorders. In this article, we present methods of diagnosing hormonal disorders and mention the difficulties encountered when introducing hormone menopausal therapy. It is not always possible or advisable to introduce hormonal treatment. There are many situations in which we choose not to take this step. However, giving up hormone therapy for menopause does not mean, that we ignore the patient’s symptoms and problems. The perimenopausal period is the time when we should be especially vigilant regarding the possibility of depressive symptoms in patients. In this context, we emphasize the role of the family doctor in the early detection and treatment of depression. Psychological symptoms accompanying menopause in many cases can be successfully treated by primary care physician. Sometimes the implementation of pharmacological treatment can quickly improve the well-being and comfort of patients.