15 Things Women Should Know About Menopause

Menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause are the stages in a woman’s life concerning the end of her reproductive years.

Menopause: To say that a woman has reached her menopause, her periods should not have occurred for at least 12 months after her last period. Menopause is the time after which her menstrual periods stop permanently, and she can no longer conceive.

Perimenopause (around menopause): The transition (or time) from the beginning of irregular menstrual periods to the last menstrual period is known as perimenopause. Perimenopause usually starts in a woman's mid- to late 40s and can last anywhere between one to four years before menopause strikes.

Postmenopause: The time after the woman reaches menopause is referred to as postmenopause.

Menopause usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age. In the United States, the average age of women experiencing menopause is 52 years. 

As women age, the reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares to stop. Hormone levels (estrogen and progesterone) that influence various systems in women’s bodies dropdown. The decrease in the levels of hormones gives rise to the symptoms of menopause.

Menopause that occurs at 40 years or younger is considered premature menopause. This can occur due to surgeries of the reproductive system or as a side effect of medicines.

Menopause can give rise to all or some of the following common symptoms in women:

• Hot flashes (a sudden feeling of warmth in the upper part of the body)
• Night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Discomfort during sex
• Urinary urgency (urgent feeling to urinate more frequently)
• Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
• Emotional changes
• Dryness of the skin, eyes, or mouth

Hot flashes are one of the most frequent symptoms of menopause. You can avoid the following factors that usually trigger them:

• Spicy foods
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Tight clothing
• Stress and anxiety
• Hot weather

Vaginal dryness can lead to discomfort or pain during sex. Use an over-the-counter lubricant jelly or talk to your doctor for some prescription medicines. 

Many women gain an average of five pounds after menopause. A healthy dietary pattern and physical activities can help you prevent weight gain.

Without estrogen, cholesterol may start accumulating on the artery walls leading to the heart. As a result, between ages 55 and 70 years, women are exposed to a higher risk of heart diseases than they had before menopause. 

Menopause can affect your bladder control and cause

• Leakage of urine when you cough or lift heavy things.
• Painful urination.
• Feeling to get up at night to urinate.

Bone mass gets decreased by an average of 25% from the time of menopause to age 60. This condition can lead to osteoporosis (brittle bones) that can be detected using a test known as bone mass densitometry (BMD). 

Menopause can affect women’s mental health by causing mood swings, and they can also make them

• Depressed.
• Anxious.
• Unable to concentrate.
• Forgetful.
• Irritable.

Menopause itself does not cause breast cancer. It is aging that puts women at an increased risk of breast cancer. However, hormonal therapies of combined estrogen and progesterone that are given for treating menopausal symptoms can increase women’s breast cancer risk. 

Menopause can give rise to other health conditions. Regular screenings can help you identify them at an early stage. These include:

• Mammogram
• Pap test and human papillomavirus (HPV) test
• Blood tests such as sugar levels and cholesterol levels
• Blood pressure
• Bone mass densitometry (BMD)
• Height measurements to check for a decrease in height (due to bone loss)

After discussing with you, doctors can recommend any of the treatment options for you that include hormonal therapy and nonhormonal therapy. 

Hormonal therapy: 

• Estrogen therapy
• Estrogen progesterone/Progestin hormone therapy

Nonhormonal therapy: 

• Healthy diet
• Regular exercises
• Treatment of specific symptoms of menopause (as and when required)