All You Need To Know About “Menopause”- It's a Whole Lot More Than Just Hot Flashes

All women are familiar with the term menstrual cycle. And, when this cycling stops, this is known as menopause in women.

So, here’s what you need to know about menopause:

What is menopause?

The cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle and fertility is known as menopause. It is a natural decline of reproductive hormones with age and happens as the ovaries stop producing hormones and releasing eggs on a monthly basis. Sometimes women knowingly stop this process by surgery which removes the ovaries, with or without a hysterectomy, which is removal of the uterus. It can also happen because of serious illness.

At what age does menopause start?

Menopause occurs around the age of 51 on average, with 48 to 55 being the most common. But in some women it can happen as early as their 30’s when ovary function starts declining. Stopping menses before age 40 is called premature menopause. For every woman it may be different when the menopause process actually starts. It is thought to be determined mostly by genetics, but we are learning that lifestyle plays a major role, for not only when it starts, but the severity of symptoms. Things such as smoking,(1) obesity, number of pregnancies, sedentary lifestyle, chemotherapy, poor diet, and high stress levels(2) can accelerate ovary decline, resulting in earlier menopause.(3)

The Symptoms:

When it comes to menopause, every woman’s experience and symptoms are unique, but there are some common patterns. Generally, when it starts in a natural way, the very first sign that you’ll notice is an irregular menstrual cycle. The cycles could be shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, or just more unpredictable. Once it starts getting off schedule, it may stop completely within a year or two. Below are some other symptoms that you’ll notice during menopause:

Hot flashes
Sweating
Trouble Sleeping
Mood swings
Depression
Headaches
Vaginal dryness and soreness
Brain Fog or decrease mental clarity
Fatigue
Lack of sex drive (libido)
Urinary symptoms

Some of these symptoms can last for years, while others may come and go. But as you go through them, all of these symptoms can affect your quality of life.

Different Stages of Menopause

The process of menopause takes some time, therefore it is divided into three stages:

Perimenopause

This is the initial stage of menopause. During this phase, your menstrual cycles will become irregular, but they haven’t stopped. This stage usually begins in the 40’s. Fertility has declined, but there are still chances to get pregnant during this phase. Sometimes the hot flashes or mood changes begin. This stage lasts an average of 3 to 5 years.

Menopause

The stage, when you’ll have your final menstrual period is known as menopause. Because of the irregularity that precedes this, you have to wait for a year at least to truly know if they have stopped. If you go a full a year without one, it is nearly certain that it is completely gone. As the menses cease, the other symptoms you may experience, as listed above, (hot flashes, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, etc.) become more common during this stage.

Postmenopause

This phase begins when you hit the year mark from your final period. Once you reach the stage, you’ll be referred to as postmenopausal for the rest of your life. In some women, the menopausal symptoms continue for years, in some they gradually drop off. New risks arise during this time, such as osteoporosis and increased risk of heart disease.

How can you treat Menopause symptoms?

There are numerous ways to treat the symptoms of menopause, but here you’ll find the most important ones:

Change the lifestyle

There is much you can do within your lifestyle to help reduce or eliminate your symptoms and their severity that you can read about in my article Hormones 101.

Reduce stress. Stress hormones can wreak havoc when they are pumped out constantly. Learn to meditate or do some deep relaxation breathing.
Exercise regularly. Physical exercise is a stress reducer and keeps a good blood flow to our brains, ovaries, and other organs, along with many other health benefits.
Eat healthily. Sugar, caffeine, or comfort foods may pick you up in the moment, but in the long run, they will only make your moods more difficult to handle.
Take a deep breath. When you are feeling out of control, stop and think before reacting. As I entered menopause, I remember thinking my husband couldn’t do anything right anymore. But when I stopped to think it through, I remembered HE hadn’t changed!
Start early. Adopt a healthy lifestyle at whatever your age and kick old unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking.

Another tip is to wear light dresses and dress in layers to handle hot flashes. Also If you stay sexually active, that may help preserve your vaginal lining.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy is the most effective therapy for treating symptoms commonly associated with hormonal imbalance and hormonal change. It is important to only use natural bioidentical hormones which act like your body’s hormones rather than synthetic hormones which can be harmful. (4) (5)

This treatment starts with an individualized hormone evaluation, including testing to understand your hormone levels. From there your practitioners should take an individualized approach tailored specifically for you to restore balance to your hormones and vitality to your health. This is the most effective treatment for hot flashes, and can also help with mood problems and vaginal dryness, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

There are some women who should not undergo such therapy, including those with breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots, severe liver disease, or have unexplained vaginal bleeding.

Alternative Ways

In addition there are many other non-traditional ways to treat menopause symptoms. Such as acupuncture, relaxation techniques, and meditation. These are safe ways to relieve the stress of menopause, and for some can work effectively. Some women also go for herbal remedies. You should consult a doctor before using any of these.

Menopause is a natural part of a women’s life cycle. During this phase, your estrogen and progesterone hormonal levels decrease. The metabolism slow down some, also. So, in order to manage menstrual symptoms, as mentioned, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

Get educated

There are many options out there to help you go through this transition smoothly and help you feel like you again! Some can manage on their own while other will need more help to restore balance.

If you have questions make sure you work with a knowledgeable practitioner who knows how to look at the underlying causes of the problems and can truly understand what your body needs. A good provider will respect your preferences for treatment.

Schedule a free 15 min consultation!

Now I’d like to hear from you: Have you experienced menopause symptoms? What questions do you have about menopause? Are you getting the help you need?