All you wanted to know about Menopause
Let us discuss menopause which means that the phase when your periods have stopped completely.
What is Menopause? Why does it happen? What changes happen in our body when menopause occurs? Do we need to pay attention to them?
We have heard about menopause many times in our lives. We have thought about what will occur when it happens to us. We have heard many things about it. First, we have to understand what is menopause and when does it happen to women. Generally, when the amount of hormones in our body keeps reducing gradually and our periods stop, that condition is known as menopause. It happens at around 50 years of age, add or less 5 years, and averaging 45 to 50 years. When it occurs before 40 years, it is known as premature menopause, which means that it has happened before time. Such a condition has its own specific issues which need to be dealt with.
Why does menopause happen? Why do the changes in our body occur?
As we age, the number of hormones in our ovaries starts gradually reducing. The most important hormone is estrogen which is needed the most and which gives a woman her stability. The amount of estrogen gets reduced as a woman ages. The ovaries have a fixed number of egg follicles and as you age, they gradually reduce in amount and their functioning also decreases. As a result the hormone levels also decrease. When the Estrogen level is normal, it takes care of many feminine issues, such as skin care and protection of our body, and when it decreases these functions get affected.
Let us look at the main symptoms that we may experience during menopause:
- Irregularity and then stopping of periods: First thing we observe is that the periods which used to happen regularly will get stopped. It is a sign that menopause has arrived in your body. If you do not have periods for four to six months, it is probable that you are reaching menopause. Before the periods get stopped completely, it is possible that you may have irregular periods. You may experience less or more bleeding and this stage is known as perimenopausal period which means the body is preparing for menopause. You start getting irregular periods and suddenly menopause happens. We then start wondering what has happened to us.
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- Hot flushes or night sweats: There is one more significant change that occurs in our body. They are hot flushes or night sweats. What happens is that we suddenly start feeling hot and would like to turn on the AC or fan. We also get palpitations in our chest and generally feel discomfort and restlessness. This happens when the estrogen levels in our body lessen. When it happens at night, we call it night sweats and at that time, we feel very hot and start sweating. Our partner says to us why we are telling him to turn on the AC or the fan at sometime and turn them off at other times. This is one of the most common issues found during menopause.
- Mood swings: Other symptoms which we start experiencing are mood swings in the form of irritability, anxiety, restlessness or sensitivity. We also feel drowsy at times or sometimes we feel unable to get proper sleep. We may feel very lethargic also sometimes. These are the set of symptoms which may happen during menopause.
- Urogenital symtoms: Because of low levels of estrogen, we experience dryness in the linings of the vagina which creates some difficulties. We feel a discomfort because of the dryness that is accompanied by itching sometimes. There is also the possibility of getting infections because of the reduction in our protection by estrogen. We may also experience discomfort related to urination, such as too frequent urination and the feeling that the urine has not been fully passed.
- Possibility of osteoporosis: There is the chance of osteoporosis after menopause since estrogen also controls calcium metabolism in our body. Our bones may reduce in density after menopause. When this happens, you may feel pain in the bones or joints which is a common symptom. You may also experience pain or stiffness in the muscles since calcium metabolism is vital for your entire skeletal system. Your muscles and bones need calcium for their proper functioning, and this gets disturbed during menopause. So all these symptoms are commonly observed during menopause.
- Memory: Forgetfulness or symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are also associated with menopause.
One more point that is important to be noted during menopause is that the protection for our heart reduces. This is because Estrogen protects our heart and so increase in cholesterol coupled with wrong lifestyle choices may put you at risk for heart-related ailments. So during menopause, you have to increase the care for your heart.
So, in simple terms, menopause brings changes to the hormones of our body. But, it is not necessary that all women experience the same symptoms. Some women may not experience any symptom at all while some of them may experience various symptoms that may affect their peace of mind. If the symptoms are troubling you too much, then you can visit your doctor for treatment. If you are prepared for the above changes menopause will not be a problem for you.
There are many stages in a woman’s life. The first stage is when you were a little girl not troubled by hormones at all and enjoying your childhood. Then comes youth, which is the second stage when your hormones increase and at the same time your responsibilities also start to increase. The third stage of life is menopause, and this can be a happy phase because this is the time when you have completed your responsibilities in life. You can now focus on yourself and enjoy your life. If you take good care of your state of mind, health, and food habits, this can be a very satisfying phase of life.