Menopause is said to have set in when a women stops ovulating

and her period ceases. Menopause allergies are common with

some women. Most women reach menopause between the age of

45 and 55 years and the average age for reaching menopause is

around 50 years.

However, 1% percent of women reach menopause before 40.

Referred to as premature menopause, or premature ovarian

failure, menopause brings with it a host of discomforts, including

allergies from various allergens present in the environment. The

immune system of menopausal women goes into disarray and

many become susceptible to allergies during menopause.

Menopause Allergies: What Are They

Allergens are substances, most often eaten or inhaled, which can

cause an allergic reaction when recognized by the immune system.

The medical world has not been able to come up with a

comprehensive list of allergens, because sensitivities vary from one

individual to another. To make matters worse, it is possible to be

allergic to literally anything.

Menopause Allergies: Causes

The main cause of allergy in menopausal women is usually

progesterone. It is very rare and difficult to treat, but occurs often

enough to cause discomfort and pain. Allergies include a broad

variety of symptoms and have an effect on people in different

ways. The severity of allergic reactions can depend on the type of

allergen, the level of exposure and each individual's immune

response.

Menopause Allergies: Symptoms

Medical research on progesterone, irrespective of its origin,

whether synthetic, produced by the body or from natural

supplements or application of creams, has observed and

accredited progesterone with causing rare allergic reactions to the

user.

The symptoms can be rashes to urticaria, better known as 'hives,'

or life-threatening reactions like anaphylactic shock. Progesterone,

produced by the body, has caused very severe allergic rashes in

menopausal women is very difficult to treat.

Menopause Allergies: Effects

Allergic symptoms during menopause can result in acne, rosacea,

psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Some relief givers are different

topical medications for the problem. Certain type of seborrhea

responds well to antifungal drugs like ketoconazole cream, others

respond well to sulfa-based compounds.

Some need occasional short courses of cortisone creams.

Menopausal women should be careful not to overdo the

cortisones. This can have damaging side effects, if used over a

prolonged period, or if the medication used on thin skin is too

potent.

Other menopause and allergies issues extend to inexplicable

episodes of anaphylaxis due to abnormal reactivity to

progesterone that tend to be pre-menopausal, but may occur

anytime. The pathogenesis of this disorder is unknown, but

laboratory studies indicate that progesterone may either induce

histamine release from basophiles directly or make mast cells more

susceptible to other mast cell degranulators.

Evidence of estrogen and progesterone hormone allergy

discovered by researchers in Austin, Texas, shows that some

women with menopausal allergies, like asthma and migraine

headaches, might be experiencing allergies to their own estrogen

and progesterone hormones.

Women patients who experienced health changes during their

menstrual cycle had higher levels of IgE antibodies against

progesterone and estrogen than menopausal women did. Allergies

can be caused seemingly unexpected. What you are allergic today,

you may not be allergic to tomorrow. Menopause and allergies is

an increasing problem for the medical practitioners the world over,

but efforts are on to find healthy solutions for them.