Symptoms Of Menopause:
Studies have shown that the hormonal changes of menopause can cause some women to feel pain in their joints or make them feel more tired than usual. These kinds of things can be overwhelming, but you’re not alone. You may want to talk to a friend, partner, or therapist about what’s going on. And you may want to spend time with people who are going through menopause and experiencing the same things.
In addition to the symptoms that may be tough to deal with, a lot of stressful life changes can happen around the same time as perimenopause and menopause. There are other symptoms of menopause besides changes in your period. Some people have severe symptoms and others may have very mild ones.
Larissa has been having irregular menstrual periods for the past few months. The hot flashes, which cause her body and face to heat up quickly and uncomfortably, are waking her up several times a night. Larissa is tired and irritable from lack of sleep and fed up with the hot flashes. She is ready to talk with her doctor about finding some relief. Don’t be afraid to talk to your healthcare provider about any decreases you’re experiencing in your sex drive.
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For other women, the menopausal transition can bring hot flashes, trouble sleeping, pain during sex, moodiness and irritability, depression, or a combination of these symptoms. Some may decide to talk with their doctor about lifestyle changes or medications to treat their symptoms. Menopause is a point in time when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. The time leading up to menopause is called perimenopause.
Over time, this loss of bone can lead to bone fractures. Your healthcare provider may want to test the strength of your bones over time. Bone mineral density testing, also called bone densitometry, is a quick way to see how much calcium you have in certain parts of your bones. Osteopenia is a disease where bone density is decreased and this can be a precursor to later osteoporosis. The possibility of pregnancy disappears once you’re postmenopausal.
This time of transition into menopause is called perimenopause. If you still have your uterus, your doctor might prescribe treatment with estrogen and progesterone. This is called combination hormone therapy (HT) or hormone replacement via therapy (HRT). It helps with hot flashes and night sweats, as well as help prevent osteoporosis. If you don’t have a uterus, you might get estrogen alone. Many women in menopause find it hard to sleep through the night.
Two conditions that affect your health after menopause are osteoporosis and coronary artery disease. There are several ways your healthcare provider can diagnose menopause. The first is discussing your menstrual cycle over the last year. Menopause is unique in that this page your provider diagnoses it after it occurs. If you’ve gone a full year (12 straight months) without a period, you’ve entered menopause and may be postmenopausal. You’ll know you’ve reached menopause when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period.
Gender transition surgery or hormone treatment may bring on menopause during or after treatment. Changes in the levels of certain hormones can induce symptoms of menopause regardless of a person’s gender or sex assigned at birth. Hot flushes and night sweats can range from mild to quite severe.
Acupuncture, meditation, and relaxation techniques are harmless ways to ease the stress of menopause, and some people believe they help. If you experience any of the symptoms of depression, talk to your reference healthcare provider. During your conversation, your provider will tell you about different types of treatment and check to make sure there isn’t another medical condition causing your depression.