Vulvovaginal Atrophy, Genital Menopause Syndrome: Medical History

Diagnostic steps include a thorough history, a thorough gynecologic examination, and hormone determinations. A detailed and confirmed diagnosis is a prerequisite for individualized therapy (e.g., physical activity, phytotherapy, hormone therapy). The anamnesis leads the way to the initiation of possible intervention measures. In many cases, the complaint situation provides the essential guidelines for the start and type of therapy.

Social history

  • Is there evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?

Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).

  • What changes have you noticed?
    • Hot flashes
    • Sweats
    • Circulatory instability
    • Cold sensation
    • Tendency to cry
    • Irritability
    • Nervousness
    • Bad mood
    • Listlessness
    • Depressive moods
    • Forgetfulness
    • Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep?, difficulty sleeping through the night?, shortened sleep duration?)
  • What other complaints have you noticed?
    • Weight gain
    • Constipation
    • Low back pain
    • Back and joint pain
    • Heart palpitations
    • Difficult and painful urination
    • Urinary urgency symptomatology
    • Frequent urination
    • Bladder weakness
    • Recurrent urinary tract infections
    • Increasing nocturnal urination
    • Menstrual irregularities
    • Absence of the period
    • Decreased desire for sexual intercourse (libido disorders).
    • Pain during sexual intercourse
    • Vaginal dryness
    • Increased discharge (what does it look like?, does it smell?, does it smell fishy?, especially after intercourse?)
    • Burning or itching in the area of the external genitalia or vagina.
    • Drying of the skin with wrinkling
    • Upper lip hair
    • Hair loss

Self history including medication history.

  • Pre-existing conditions (diabetes mellitus, heart disease, malignancies, thyroid dysfunction).
  • Operations (gynecological operations especially on the uterus and ovaries, descensus operations, incontinence operations / operations due toinvoluntary urine loss).
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiotherapy

Medication history

  • Antibiotics
  • Immunosuppressants
  • Hormones
  • Cytostatic drugs