Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when they’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. On average, it happens to women at the age of 52. It’s a biological process that happens when the ovaries stop producing hormones. That said, it can also be induced through a medical treatment or surgery. That’s called induced menopause.
The hormonal changes that a woman goes through because of menopause can make them experience uncomfortable emotional and physical symptoms. However, there are treatments available to help deal with the symptoms of menopause, such as:
- Medication
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Lifestyle adjustments
Hormone Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is one of the most common treatment options for women who have imbalanced hormones. What it does is that it provides the body with additional estrogen and a synthetic version of it called progesterone. There are various kinds of hormone therapy, like topical creams and patches. An estradiol patch is one example. Look for one that is plant-based, bioidentical and FDA-approved. These patches can provide fast relief from all menopause symptoms.
The Common Symptoms of Menopause
Trouble Sleeping
Because of reasons like frequent urination during nighttime, hot flashes, and night sweats several women have problems sleeping when they’re going through menopause.
Memory and Mood Changes
Some women may feel irritable or moody around menopause. Women also report problems like:
- Finding it difficult to concentrate
- Memory problems
- Depression
If you’re experiencing these problems you should talk to your healthcare provider.
Vaginal Dryness
Women may also experience irritation and vaginal dryness caused by menopause. This also makes sex an uncomfortable experience. This happens because estrogen levels decline during menopause.
Hot Flashes
Some of the most common symptoms are night sweats and hot flashes. They’re also sometimes referred to as vasomotor symptoms. This is when you feel a sudden surge of heat in the upper portion of your body. In an intense case, red blotches can appear when the body and the face get flushed. This is followed by cold shivering and heavy sweating.
Other Symptoms
Women may also gain weight. Hair and skin can become thinner and drier. Urine can also leak during laughing, sneezing or exercise.
The Most Common Time to Experience Symptoms
The Office on Women’s Health states that for most women menopause occurs between 48 and 58. If a person smokes or has never had children, they can experience it sooner. The changes pertaining to it usually start when women are in their late 40s and periods may stop (on average) four years after. But the transition can last for a period between 2 to 8 years. If menstruation has not occurred for 12 months, menopause happens.
When menopause happens earlier than expected it’s called “premature menopause.” Doctors consider any menopause premature if it happens between 40 and 45. Symptoms we discussed earlier, like hot flashes, can start before they happen, and can continue after they have happened.
But the story may be different for every woman.
What Causes Menopause?
Menopause may happen due to:
- Oophorectomy: This is a surgery that removes the ovaries. It causes menopause instantly. Periods immediately stop and you’ll experience the symptoms of menopause. Due to the surgery and the symptoms may be more severe.
- Radiation and chemotherapy: Cancer therapies may also cause menopause. Soon after, you’ll begin experiencing the common symptoms of menopause. When radiation is aimed at the lower spine, pelvis, and belly, it can cause menopause, too. Radiation towards other parts of the body, like the breast, neck, or head, most likely won’t cause menopause.
- Primary ovarian insufficiency: 1% of all people who experience menopause get it before 40. This happens when your ovaries are not making a sufficient amount of hormones. This can happen due to autoimmune disease or genetic changes.
The Three Stages of Menopause
When menopause isn’t induced, it’s gradual. It happens in these three stages:
- Menopause transition or perimenopause: Perimenopause usually begins 8 to 10 years before the occurrence of menopause. When this starts to happen, the ovaries start producing a consistently decreasing amount of estrogen. This usually happens when women are in their 40s. During this, women start feeling some of the symptoms we discussed earlier.
- Menopause: This is when you’ve stopped having periods. At this point, your body isn’t producing a lot of estrogen and your ovaries aren’t releasing eggs.
- Postmenopause: As the name suggests, this is what happens after All women stay in postmenopause for the rest of their lives. Many of the symptoms you experienced in menopause die down during this stage but you may experience mild ones for several years. It’s also worth noting that people in this stage are at an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis because of reduced estrogen levels.
