Menopause: Symptoms & Causes

 

The term menopause describes the period of time that marks the end of the reproductive years and your body's natural transition to menopause. The menopausal transition is another name for perimenopause.

Perimenopause in women begins at varying ages. Sometime in your 40s, you may start to notice indicators that the menopause is approaching, such as irregular menstruation. However, some women start seeing changes in their mid-30s.

During perimenopause, your body's amount of estrogen, the primary hormone for women, increases and falls irregularly. You could start experiencing menstrual periods when your ovaries don't produce an egg (ovulate), or your cycles might prolong or be shorter. Menopause-related symptoms such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and insomnia are also possible. There are remedies available to lessen these effects.

The perimenopause ends when you have 12 consecutive months without a monthly cycle, marking the formal start of menopause.

 

Signs and symptoms

Your body may undergo some minor and some not so subtle changes during the menopausal transition. You might possibly encounter:

Irregular time frames: Your flow may be mild to heavy, your periods may come and go, and the duration between them may change as ovulation becomes more erratic. You could be in the early stages of perimenopause if there is a consistent shift in the duration of your menstrual cycle of seven days or more. You are probably in the late perimenopause if it is sixty days or longer between periods.

 Sleep issues and hot flushes: Perimenopause is a typical time for hot flashes. The degree, duration, and regularity differ. Hot flashes and night sweats are frequently the cause of sleep issues, although they are not always the cause.

 Shifts in mood: During the perimenopause, mood swings, irritation, or an increased risk of depression may occur. These symptoms might be brought on by hot flashes interfering with sleep. Aside from hormone changes associated with the perimenopause, other factors might also contribute to mood swings.

 Issues with the bladder and vagina: Sexual activity may become uncomfortable when estrogen levels drop because your vaginal tissues may become less supple and lubricating. Additionally, having low estrogen may make you more susceptible to vaginal or urinary infections. Urinary incontinence may be exacerbated by loss of tissue tone.

 A decline in fertility: Your chances of getting pregnant decline when your ovulation becomes sporadic. However, pregnancy is still possible as long as you are menstruating. Use birth control until you haven't had a period for a full year if you want to prevent becoming pregnant.

 Modifications to sexual function: Sexual desire and arousal might fluctuate throughout the perimenopause. However, if you experienced fulfilling sexual relations prior to menopause, this is probably going to carry over into the perimenopause and beyond.

 Bone loss: Reduced estrogen levels lead your bone to break more easily than it grows back, which raises your risk of osteoporosis, a condition that results in brittle bones.

Modifying cholesterol levels: Reduced estrogen levels can cause negative alterations in blood cholesterol levels, such as an elevation in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes known as the "bad" cholesterol, which raises the risk of heart disease. In addition, as women age, their levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or the "good" cholesterol, tend to decline, raising their risk of heart disease.

 

When to visit a physician

Some women seek treatment for the symptoms of perimenopause. However, some people voluntarily accept the alterations or don't have symptoms bad enough to require medical treatment. You might not immediately recognize that all of your symptoms are related to the same issue, which is the hormone changes associated with the menopausal transition, because they might be mild and develop gradually.

See your doctor if you have symptoms like mood swings, heat flashes, or changes in your sexual function that are bothering you and are interfering with your life or well-being.

 

Causes

Your body produces more and less of the essential female hormones, progesterone and estrogen, throughout the perimenopause. A lot of the changes that occur during perimenopause are brought on by the decline in estrogen.

 

During menopause, do I still need supplements (minerals and vitamins)?

 

In general, it is advisable to make an effort to obtain the vitamins and minerals you require through a diverse and inclusive diet. It is advisable to exercise caution when considering herbal remedies or dietary supplements as a panacea for menopause.

If you're considering taking supplements, look behind the advertising and consider your health holistically, paying particular attention to the vital areas of brain, heart, and bone health since low hormone levels can all have a negative impact on these.

It's important to remember that, for many products targeted for menopausal women, the identical supplement can cost less if it doesn't have this branding.

Check what's in the pack by looking at the back, and check if there's a basic vitamin that comes in a comparable combo.

Menopause-related products are so popular that they are outselling even chocolate and shampoo, for which there is little to no proof of any kind of benefit.

 

The best course of action if you are having symptoms that you believe might be associated with the menopause is to schedule a consultation with your healthcare provider.

HRT is typically the first-line treatment for managing menopause-related symptoms, and it also offers advantages for your long-term health. Menopause-related symptoms are caused by low hormones rather than being low on certain vitamins and minerals.

 

    -Vit D and the menopause

During the perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, vitamin D is essential. Because it aids in the body's absorption and use of calcium, this vitamin is critical to the health and strength of your bones.

- Menopause and calcium

Additionally, calcium maintains healthy bones, which is crucial throughout the menopause and perimenopause. As your estrogen levels drop, so does your chance of osteoporosis, or weak bones.

- Iron

The mineral iron is a necessary component of red blood cells and aids in the body's oxygen transportation. Fatigue results from your body's inability to transport enough oxygen if your iron levels are inadequate. Everything from the way your brain works to how well your immune system fights off infections may be impacted by this.

-Vitamin C

It has been demonstrated that eating a lot of rich foods high in vitamin C, such as broccoli, red peppers, oranges, and blackcurrants, will boost your immunity. With food alone, you should be able to meet your daily need of 40 mg.

- Zinc

According to certain research, zinc is a mineral that supports the immune system in the body. Women should be able to obtain enough zinc through diet alone; they need about 7 mg per day. Eat foods high in zinc, such as shellfish (especially oysters) and fish, meat, almonds, and walnuts.

 

Risk Factors

A regular stage of life is the menopause. However, some women may experience it earlier than others. Certain variables may increase your chance of starting perimenopause earlier in life, while the data is not always clear-cut. These considerations include:

Cigarette smoking: Women who smoke experience the start of menopause one to two years earlier than women who do not smoke.

History of the family: Early menopause in women is a possibility if it runs in the family.

Treatment for cancer: Early menopause has been associated with cancer treatment involving chemotherapy or pelvic radiation therapy.

Hysterectomy: Menopause is typically not brought on by a hysterectomy that removes your uterus but leaves your ovaries in place. Your ovaries continue to produce estrogen even when you are no longer menstruating. However, this kind of surgery can cause menopause to start earlier than usual. In addition, the remaining ovary may cease to function earlier than anticipated if you have one ovary removed.

 

Complications

One of the main signs of the perimenopause is irregular periods. For the most part, this is typical and not a cause for alarm. See a doctor nevertheless, if any of the following apply:

 -Your bleeding is really heavy, and you've been changing tampons or pads every hour or two for two or more hours.

 -There is bleeding for more than seven days.

 -There is bleeding in between

 - It is common for periods to occur less than 21 days apart.

 

These kinds of symptoms could indicate that there's an issue with your reproductive system that needs to be diagnosed and treated.