Menopause is a natural process where a woman loses her ability to reproduce. Her menstruation cycle comes to a permanent end. It occurs when a woman stops having her period for 12 months consecutively.
Menopause is undoubtedly the most challenging period in a woman’s life. The symptoms are so severe in some instances that patients require medication and therapy to go through them. Menopause is not a disease but a biological cycle. How long can menopause last is indefinite, as the duration varies significantly from one woman to another? On average, menopause can last from 4 years to 12 years.
The average age at which menopause occurs has been reported at over 50 years. In the United States, the commencement of menopause has been reported from 40 years of age to 58 years of age. The severity of the symptoms depends on the medications, alcohol intake, smoking, and diet that a woman is accustomed to.
Here are a few critically important things that you should know about menopause:
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Distinction Between Perimenopause, menopause, and Postmenopause
Perimenopause: Perimenopause is the time right before menopause. It starts when a woman starts experiencing irregular menstruation up till the point when she has missed her period for consecutive 12 months. This is a time when your ovaries reduce the production of hormones. This usually starts from the mid-forties the to late forties in the United States. Perimenopause can stretch for four years on average.
Common symptoms of perimenopause are mood swings, sleep problems, bladder dysfunction, hot flashes, alteration in cholesterol level, etc.
Menopause: A Woman enters Menopause once she has missed her period for 12 months consecutively. This marks her infertility and inability to conceive any longer. It is a rough time in a woman’s life, and she has to deal with many uncomfortable symptoms, which will be discussed in detail further in his article. The treatment of these symptoms depends upon their severity. Options for managing menopause symptoms range from dietary shifts to supplements, therapy, and medication.
Postmenopause: As the name suggests, postmenopause refers to the time after a woman reaches menopause. At this stage, the symptoms experienced by a woman start reducing, and women start aging faster. On average, the aging process spikes up to 6% in pace.
What causes Menopause?
Due to age, the estrogen hormone and progesterone hormone level decrease in women’s bodies due to weakening ovaries. This causes a drop in the reproductive cycle, and she is no longer able to conceive. The decreased hormone levels lead to menopausal symptoms.
What is the average age for menopause occurrence?
Most women experience a delay in their menstruation cycle between the age of 45 to 55. The average age for women to experience menopause in the United States is 51. However, smoking, excess drinking, and medications can accelerate menopause, and many women experience premature or early menopause.
Premature Menopause
Menopause is considered premature when it occurs at or before 40 years of age. It may be induced by medical surgeries or chemotherapy. Early menopause poses the risk of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. However, these can be prevented through hormone therapy.
Common Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause can trigger some complicated and uncomfortable symptoms in women. Some of these may be so severe that managing them may require therapy and medications. Following are some of the most commonly reported symptoms of menopause:
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Night Sweats
- Frequent Urination
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Severe skin dryness
Hot Flashes:
What are they?
Hot flashes are the most commonly experienced symptom of menopause. Statistics reveal that around 75% of women have frequent hot flashes during menopause. A sudden rise in the temperature during a hot flash leads to extreme sweating and palpitations of the heart. These typically last from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
What Triggers Hot Flashes?
Hot flashes are triggered by excessive alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, smoking, wearing tight clothes, eating spicy food, excess stress, and even hot weather.
How to Prevent Hot Flashes?
It is challenging to prevent hot flashes. However, they can be reduced in frequency by avoiding triggers. If they get out of control, doctors prescribe medications and deep breathing exercises to control the intensity and the frequency of hot flashes.
Effect of Menopause on Bone Health
Menopause adversely affects the bones and weakens them considerably by breaking down bone calcium due to low estrogen production. The bone density reduces, making bones susceptible to fractures and injuries. Deteriorating bone health can be detected by the BMD test (Bone Mass Densitometry).
Bone health can be maintained during or after menopause by a proper calcium-rich diet. Vitamin D supplements should also be taken. Consumption of alcohol and nicotine must be avoided to improve bone health.
Weight Gain during and after Menopause
Weight gain is imminent during and after menopause. This weight gain is due to changes in the level of hormones and slowed metabolism. On average, women in the United States gain five pounds after menopause.
Weight gain can be prevented by changing your lifestyle to a more healthy version by incorporating more physical activities and healthy dietary patterns. It is important to watch your weight to prevent diabetes and heart diseases.
Higher Risk of Heart Diseases
Menopause can expose women to a higher risk of heart diseases due to low levels of estrogen hormone. The heart’s function is impacted by accumulated cholesterol on the artery walls causing palpitations and dizziness.
Heart disease risk can be eliminated after menopause through a balanced diet plan and regular exercises and meditation to reduce stress.
Effect of Menopause on Bladder Function
Menopause also affects the function of the bladder. It decreases bladder control due to weak estrogen levels in the body. It may lead to urine leakage when lifting heavy objects or coughing, pain during urination, and frequent urination during the night.
Effects of Menopause on Mental Health
Low levels of estrogen also affect the mental health of women suffering from menopause. It leads to mood swings, anxiety, anxiousness, depression, forgetfulness, and irritability. It makes patients less focused, and it becomes difficult for them to concentrate. They become aggressive and easily fatigued. Menopause accelerates the aging process in women.
