What Happens During Menopause:
All of these factors can disrupt your life and even cause tension in your relationship(s). In addition to these changes, the lower levels of estrogen in your body can cause a decrease in the blood supply to your vagina. When you don’t have the right amount of lubrication in your vagina, it can lead to painful intercourse. Certain things in your daily life could be triggers for hot flashes.
A 2023 research review suggests dietary choices during menopause can help manage depression, weight, skin changes, and even vasomotor symptoms. Most people know they are approaching or starting menopause when they begin having symptoms such as hot flashes or when they have not had a period for 12 months. Menopause officially begins when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without menstruating. Symptoms like night sweats are common right before, during, and after menopause. The most accurate way to tell if it’s happening to you is to watch your menstrual cycles for 12 months in a row.
You can only really know that it was your last period in hindsight. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t had a period for twelve months in a row, you very likely reached menopause when you had your last period. Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tops up hormones like oestrogen which start dipping around the time of the menopause, and help to relieve symptoms. It can occur naturally and at the expected age, prematurely or early. Seek medical advice if you are concerned about irregular cycles, heavy or abnormal bleeding, or symptoms that interfere with your daily life.
Women who can’t sleep due to flashes and sweats are also more likely to become depressed, researchers have found. Because these can also be symptoms of pregnancy official statement or other medical conditions, you should consider seeing your doctor for evaluation. A lack of control over peeing can be another symptom of this stage of life.
Your doctor may also suggest other health checks such as a mammogram, pelvic examination or cervical screening. With estrogen fluctuating, your the advantage periods may get longer or shorter, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may also notice your period is heavier than usual, or it could be lighter.
But others either tolerate the changes or simply don’t experience symptoms severe enough to need attention. Because symptoms may be subtle and come on gradually, you may not realize at first that they’re all connected to the same thing ‘ hormone fluctuations of the menopausal transition. The change in hormone levels causes the membranes lining the vagina to become thinner and drier over time. Some women become more prone to vaginal infections as a result. If the vagina isn’t lubricated well enough through arousal, sex can be uncomfortable or even painful.
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 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.
The menopause is rare in mammals, with beluga whales only discovered to go through the process in 2018. The reproductive conflict hypothesis, on the other hand, suggests that when mothers and daughters have children at the same time, their offspring compete for the same resources. If an older female instead gives up reproducing, then there’s less competition and more chance of her descendants surviving.
The fourth looked at the difficulties of managing menopause during and after cancer and highlighted gaps in the management and role of MHT. She now considers those tests an example of over-medicalisation and says all she needed was to have her hormone levels addressed. In her clinical work, every day she treats women who struggle with severe depression, anxiety and brain fog caused by hormone fluctuations. With production of oestrogen having stopped altogether, there is a long-term effect on the bones and heart. There is even research that suggests eating plant oestrogens – contained in soy and red clover – could help with symptoms, and vitamin D supplements could improve bone health.
The symptoms of premature or early menopause are the same as for menopause at any age. These changes are common, and it may help to discuss them with your partner, your doctor or a trusted friend. Healthdirect Australia is a free service where you can talk to a nurse or doctor who can help you know what to do. Here’s a look at menopause through the ages, and what types of symptoms to possibly expect as you reach each milestone.
The benefits and risks of hormone therapy vary depending on your age and health history. In general, younger people in their 50s tend to get more benefits from hormone therapy compared to those who are postmenopausal in sell their 60s. People who undergo premature menopause often receive hormone therapy until age 50 to make up for the extra years of estrogen loss. As you age, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares to stop.
Your period may be considered irregular if the time between your menstrual cycle is longer or shorter, you skip a period, or your periods are lighter or heavier than usual. This is a classic sign of the transition into menopause. Hot flashes that happen at night are called night sweats.