Menopausal Symptoms and Tips for Women Going Through This Stage

What is menopause - is a natural stage in the life of any woman that means the end of the menstrual cycle and therefore the ovulation and fertility of the woman. Although the average age is 50, some women experience menopause at the age of 40, while in others it is delayed until the age of 60. Some women experience early menopause - that is, before the age of 40.

When we talk about what menopause is, it is important to know that menopause means that a period of one year has passed without the presence of menstruation. Before menopause in any woman, there is a period, even several years, in which the menstrual cycle is still present, but irregular and at distances of several months or shorter distances. It will take a year from the last menstrual cycle to the onset of menopause.

What is menopause - is the cessation of ovulation, the time when the ovaries no longer produce eggs, and therefore the end of fertility (this is because every woman is born with a limited supply of oocytes). However, because menopause involves a transition period in which the woman may still experience irregular menstrual bleeding, she may still become pregnant despite menopausal symptoms. Menopause brings with it not only the end of fertility but also the cessation of the production of certain hormones, including estrogen (which also play a role in protecting bones, so postmenopausal women may experience osteoporosis).

Menopausal symptoms:

There is no rule - you can experience all these symptoms and you can only experience a few. In addition, some symptoms appear even a few years before the onset of menopause.

Menopause is only declared after 12 months without the presence of the menstrual cycle, but you can experience some of the following signs beforehand:

Irregular vaginal bleeding. Some women experience irregular, milder, or more severe bleeding for several years. During the transition period until the onset of menopause, which can be as long as 5–8 years, menstruation will come either more often or less frequently (the menstrual cycle is lengthened or shortened in duration).

When there is a period in which you notice this sign, it is good to talk to your doctor - especially if you are not over 45 years old, as this may be a sign of other conditions. But if it's about the transition to menopause, everything is normal and you have no reason to worry about the frequency of menstruation. At this stage, fertility also decreases significantly, but there is still a chance of becoming pregnant.

Hot flashes and excessive sweating. Another symptom of menstruation that may occur much earlier is represented by unpleasant hot flashes, sudden heat waves. It is a symptom as unpleasant as it is common. The heatwave overwhelms and often starts from the head and chest all over the body.

Some last a few seconds, others last several minutes. They are caused by hormonal changes caused by the onset of menopause and often disappear after a few years (around 5 years). In addition to hot flashes, women who are starting menopause also experience excessive sweating, especially during the night, which can cause difficulty sleeping.

Vaginal. An unpleasant symptom of menopause that affects both sexual desire and sexual activity is related to the drastic decrease in elasticity and vaginal moisture (caused by decreased estrogen). Itching and vaginal irritation may occur, the risk of infection increases, but mainly dryness and lack of elasticity cause pain during sex.

Urinating. Menopause sometimes brings with it urinary incontinence - it increases the risk of urinary tract infections, increases the need to urinate, and may cause urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine).

Weight gain. Many women may notice that although they do not change their lifestyle, they gain a few extra pounds, especially around the abdomen, thighs, hips. It is a perfect time to adopt a healthy diet, to give up as many addictions as possible, and to adopt a sport that, in addition to the physical benefits, relaxes you.

Other unpleasant physical changes. And the skin loses a little of its elasticity, wrinkles may become more visible and acne rarely appears on the face. Another inconvenience is related to hair growth in areas such as the chin, upper lip, chest. Rarely, do some women complain of headaches and muscle aches.

Emotional. Of course, it is not easy for any woman to get over all these inconveniences and get used to them. Negative emotional states are caused by both physical and mental factors.

The annoying symptoms added to the realization that fertility is over can even lead to depression. Menopause is sometimes accompanied by insomnia - caused by either physiological changes or depressive states. Some women report excessive fatigue, dizziness, memory problems, irritability at the onset of menopause. Changing moods are also common.

Menopause is the end of fertility, but it is not the end of sex life! Although many women are depressed and consider this stage as the end of their femininity, this is not the reality. Although menopause involves a lack of hormones and discomfort related to the elasticity and lubrication of the vagina, a woman can overcome these difficulties as long as she remembers that it is only a natural process that does not steal her status as a woman!

Once the unpleasant symptoms decrease in intensity (over time or with the help of therapies), she should avoid depression and continue to enjoy life (yes, and sex).

To help women who are experiencing menopausal discomfort, there are hormone therapies that significantly reduce symptoms. A doctor will recommend appropriate hormone therapy.

These are hormone replacement therapies - namely various treatments with pills, creams, gels, sprays that contain hormones identical to those produced by the body that reduces the discomfort of menopause, replacing the lack of natural hormones.

But because long-term hormone therapies have had harmful effects, only the doctor will be the one to decide the type of therapy and its duration. If the main discomfort is related to vaginal dryness, there are hormonal treatments such as creams that are applied and act locally, so they involve low risks.

Whether you choose to take hormone replacement therapy or not, you can reduce the symptoms of menopause and get over this stage more easily if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, physical activity. It seems that vitamin E and herbal teas such as nettles, mouse tail, hawthorn help.