Menopause is that time that denotes the closing stages of your menstrual cycle. It is established after a woman goes 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can occur when a woman is around their 40s or 50s. However, the average age is around 50, in general.
It is a biological process. However, the physical indications might disturb your sleep, reduce your energy or influence emotional health. There are some effective treatments available to treat them; hormone therapy and some lifestyle adjustments.
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Menopause Symptoms
You will experience the following symptoms when you are fast approaching the menopause stage (perimenopause).
- Irregular periods
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Chills
- Sleep problems
- Night sweats
- Mood changes
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Weight gain and sluggish metabolism
- Loss of breast fullness
These signs may vary from one woman to another. You are most likely to experience an irregularity in the periods. This is an expected and common thing. Menstrual periods will often skip one month and then return the next month, or sometimes skip a few months and then commence monthly cycles yet again for some months. They tend to occur in small cycles, too, so they are close together.
Chronic health risks associated with menopause
Heart disease
Women believe that think breast cancer is their major threat; however, the most important hazard they face following menopause is typically heart disease. According to statistical analysis, nearly one-third of the women population acquire the cardiovascular disease, and the degree of heart attack starts increasing approximately a decade subsequent to menopause.
Estrogen helps your blood vessels stay flexible, and so they shrink and expand to have room for blood flow. Once it diminishes, this advantage is lost. When coupled with other modifications like the increase in blood pressure that often thickens your artery walls, your heart all of a sudden becomes vulnerable.
A recent study has examined the biological, physical, social, and psychological changes faced by women in their midlife years. They found that women who experience more hot flashes sooner during menopause seem to have an elevated threat of heart disease as well.
This finding was borne out in another study published by the AHA (American Heart Foundation), which discovered that regular and constant hot flashes are linked with impending heart disease. Women whose families have a list of heart patients are advised to consult their doctor if they require additional screenings for heart disease.
Osteoporosis
Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis when compared to men, a condition wherein their bones turn out to be weak and thin and crack more easily. Prior to menopause, your bones are safeguarded by estrogen; however, during the year ahead of the last menstrual period and continuing for around three years after that, your bone loss is swift, says the ACOG [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists].
Provided that the increase in speed of bone loss can commence before you stop having your periods, experts suggest that you might have to consult your doctor as the periods turn out to be less predictable to observe what you can perform in an attempt to preserve your bone health.
Weight gain
Menopause has a distinct effect on the metabolism of a woman. Research shows that menopause triggers the body to put on weight and suffer the loss of lean tissue mass more or less two years prior to the last menstrual phase until two years into the postmenopausal phase.
Extra weight, particularly in the region of the abdomen, is hazardous, as it can increase your threat of type 2 diabetes. Plus, there’s another study that shows that women who rapidly develop abdominal fat during menopause are often at larger risk of heart disease, albeit their weight stays steady.
Menopause on its own is associated with an amplified risk for metabolic syndrome, a collection of health conditions incorporating high blood sugar, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and additional abdominal fat that augment your threat for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Your doctor will ask you to opt for a lipid profile test.
Urinary tract infection
After your menopause, a reduction in estrogen levels can trigger your vaginal tissue to become drier and thinner. This can make things easier for bacteria to thrive, which eventually could cause UTI (urinary tract infection).
While the risk for UTIs often relies on individual aspects like overall health, the incidence of UTIs normally increases with age. The rate is almost double in women who have crossed the age of 65, says a recent review article. The same article states that almost 10 percent of postmenopausal women testified to having had this infection the preceding year.
Urinary incontinence
Trouble controlling your bladder can commence in perimenopause and persist for years after. Just about half of postmenopausal women face urinary incontinence. The most general type is stress urinary incontinence, wherein sneezing, coughing, or being involved in any kind of physical activity triggers leakage.
Urgency incontinence occurs when the leak is associated with an out-of-control urge to make it to the restroom immediately. Numerous women have a combination of these two conditions.
Keep in touch with your health care provider for preventive health care and other medical concerns. You should continue getting the appointments throughout and after menopause. Preventive health care might include suggested health screening tests, like colonoscopy, triglyceride screening and mammography.
Your doctor may advise other tests and exams, including thyroid testing according to your medical history and even pelvic and breast exams.
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