Learning about Menopause
What is menopause?
For most women, menopause is a natural process of aging. Menstrual periods gradually stop and the ability to become pregnant ends. Some women feel relief that they no longer have periods, but other women struggle with the physical and emotional changes that come with menopause.
For most women, menopause happens around age 50, but every woman’s body has its own timeline. Some women stop having periods in their mid-40s. Others keep having periods well into their 50s.
And some women go through menopause early because of cancer treatment, surgery, or other circumstances.
All your life you have given. You give your energy, your love, your body. But there may come a day when you begin to feel betrayed by your own body. Hot flashes, night sweats, suddenly cold… these may be symptoms of peri-menopause or menopause.
Now is the time to revive your energy, to seek relief, and to feel yourself again.
What happens during menopause?
- It starts with perimenopause (the process of change that leads up to menopause). Perimenopause can start as early as your late 30s or as late as your early 50s. Its length varies, but it usually lasts from 2 to 8 years.
- During this time, your hormone levels will fluctuate. This causes changes in your periods among other symptoms. In time, estrogen and progesterone levels drop enough that the menstrual cycle stops. Going a full year without having a period is officially considered menopause (and menopause can last 7-10 yrs on average).
- Low estrogen levels after menopause speed bone loss, which increases your risk of osteoporosis, so it’s important to take extra care of your body and health when this happens to reduce the risk of broken bones.
- Your risk of heart disease increases with menopause, so make sure to make and keep your annual well visit appointments with your primary care physician.
- It’s normal to have thinner, drier skin after menopause. The vaginal lining and the lower urinary tract also thin. This can make it difficult or uncomfortable to have sex. Using lube may make intercourse more comfortable.
- This thinning and drying of the skin can also increase the risk of vaginal and urinary tract infections.
What are the symptoms?
- Hot flashes.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Vaginal dryness.
Symptoms related to mood and cognition may also happen around the time of menopause. These include:
- Mood swings or feeling grouchy, depressed, or worried.
- Problems with remembering or thinking clearly.
Some women have only a few mild symptoms. Others have severe symptoms that disrupt their sleep and daily lives. Menopause caused by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy can cause symptoms to be more severe. Pre-existing conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or sleep problems, can also make menopause symptoms worse.
Symptoms tend to last or worsen over the first year or so after menopause. Over time, hormones even out at low levels. Many symptoms go away eventually, but some women experience persistent symptoms that don’t improve.
Treatment:
- Clonidine (a medicine usually used to treat high blood pressure).
It is helpful for you to track symptoms on a calendar or journal (just like you did when you first started your periods!). This will help your doctor evaluate the best course of treatment.
