The menopause journey can indeed be a bit confusing because there is no particular starting or ending date; there are lots of diversion, oddities and even the estimated time of its arrival might be spanning years. But if you try to understand the trip of menopause then you have to follow some directions turn by turn.
What is menopause?
Menopause is a physical condition that takes place in a body due to some changes in your hormonal levels and having menopause means that you can no longer be pregnant. The most important fact about menopause is it is a natural transition and don’t think it as a health problem. But, some noticeable changes after menopause.
During the 40s of a woman, the levels of estrogen and progesterone start to fall amongst 85% of them. During that time women stop menstruating.
Understanding the Perimenopause period
Before experiencing the menopause you might be passing through the time span of perimenopause. During this period you would be noticing some changes for a year or some months before reaching your menopause. 72% of the women experience the maximum symptoms identified during the perimenopause timespan. You are not going to identify the exact time of the starting point of your menopause that is why, you have to pay attention to the changes you are experiencing along with your feelings during the perimenopause time. 5.7 % of women stated that they did not experience any symptoms at all. But you can keep your cool as we are going to discuss some common symptoms.
Symptoms for understanding if you are menopausal
1.Irregular periods
The most significant and classic sign that you are heading to your menopause is your periods becoming irregular. By irregular we mean that your periods might be lighter or heavier, it might be less often or more often, and the time span of it might be shorter or longer than before.
2.Getting hot flashes
If you suddenly feel hot or warm in some parts of your body specially in your skin without any proper reason, then you are getting hot flashes. Your heart might start beating faster and skin might turn to red . 65% of the women suddenly feel cold after experiencing hot flashes and you can experience them during your sleep and they usually last for a few minutes. But the hot flashes might not be related to menopause also, so if you are having some problem due to it then it is always better to speak to your doctor.
3.Sweating during the night time
Night sweats are a type of hot flashes which happen during the time of your sleep and it often becomes so intense that you might wake up. The symptoms of night sweats vary from woman to woman. They can last from one minute to five minutes and depending on its degree they can be severe or mild. The frequencies also vary, you can have one every week or you can have one every hour or you might not experience them at all.
4.Having mood swings
Various things are going to affect your mood and it even consists of some hormonal changes which takes place during the menopause. If you have experienced some depression and anxiety issues in your past then the symptoms might be even worse at the time of your menopause. But always remember that it is very important for everyone to feel good. So if you are experiencing mood swings for more than a couple of weeks then you can talk to your doctor to get some treatment.
5.Unable to sleep properly at night
Although, there are several reasons for getting troubles while going to sleep at night and also waking up from sleep during the night. But if you have never experienced problems related to sleep then it might be a sign that you are approaching your menopause. Having trouble in sleeping might be accompanied with night sweats but if you cannot identify why you are getting the sleeping problems then it is definitely a symptom related to your menopause.
6.Experiencing forgetfulness
32% of women tend to face minor memory lapses to some extent during the middle age like losing the car keys or house keys, unable to remember a particular word or phrase. Forgetfulness not only occurs from menopause but it can also occur from stress. Although it is a common symptom of menopause which occurs during your daily life.
7.Experiencing some physical changes
You can notice that your skin would be becoming dull and thin, same happens with your hair which becomes much more dry and tends to fall oftentimes. 73.4 % of the women experiences weight gain at this time and your body structure is also going to change as more fat gets accumulated around your waist and there would be less muscles but more fat. Your joints can also become stiff which would be hurting at times. That is why, it is also very important to be active during this time and you have to do some exercises in order to regain your strength.
Identifying the Postmenopausal Time
The time span which comes after the menopausal period is known as the post menopause time. The postmenopausal also consists of some symptoms which a women might experience during their perimenopause time as well. But these symptoms gradually ease out for 93.7 % of the women. Usually, after completing your menopause which means completing an year or more than an year without having your periods you reach your postmenopausal time. You need to keep in your mind that you are not going to experience any type of menstrual bleeding during your postmenopausal period and even a very little spotting is abnormal after the menopause. So always visit a doctor if you experience any bleeding. You can also carry out some medical tests for identifying the cell changes of your cervix region. This test will be identifying if there is any risk of cervical cancer or if you are growing any conditions which might develop into the cancer.
Early Menopause
If your menopause takes place before the age of 40 then it is termed as early menopause and there might be several reasons for it.
- Removing the ovaries or uterus through a surgery which affects the hormonal levels along with reproductive function and sometimes the menopause starts immediately after the surgery.
- Early menopause might be due to your hereditary or genetic factors, or due to some other medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or thyroid diseases.
However experiencing early menopause is not always life threatening but definitely it is a serious issue and you might take medical treatments for managing the effects.
Although menopause consists of the changes regarding production of hormones but it is not possible for predicting the exact date of menopause by hormone testing. Although the medical test might be helpful in identifying the cause of why your periods got ceased. That is why, to understand that whether you are having early menopause or you are experiencing the perimenopause or have reached your menopause, can help you in taking some decisions regarding your fertility options or other risks. The menopause time is indeed crucial, always stay aware and reach out for medical help whenever required.
Reference list:
https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/are-we-there-yet-navigate-now-with-our-guided-menopause-tour#:~:text=And%20it%20can%20still%20be,know%20you're%20near%20menopause
https://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/understanding-menopause-symptoms
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317615
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