Understanding the Menopause - Helpful Tips
when
does the menopause occur?
The menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Some women do start before that. If you haven't had children, for example, you might well start earlier.
A good indicator of when you're likely to start is to find out when your mother did.
what happens at the menopause?
When girls are born we all start out with a supply of approximately 2 million eggs. At the menopause the release of eggs from your ovaries becomes more erratic and your monthly periods become less frequent and eventually stop.
hormonal inbalance
Normally our hormones balance out. However when we have menopausal symptoms, we are suffering from hormonal imbalance. At the menopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels fall in varying amounts from person to person.
As the oestrogen levels fall and/or there are sudden changes in hormone levels, many women experience symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, headaches, emotional mood swings and a lowered sexual drive.
what are the symptoms?
Hot flushes and night sweats
Mood changes, anxiety and depression
Vaginal
dryness and other skin changes
Bloating and water retention
Raised blood
pressure, palpitations and other cardiovascular changes
Poor memory and concentration
Lowered sex drive
Painful intercourse due to the vaginal wall becoming
drier and thinner
Joint/muscle aches and pains
Changes in hair quality
Weight
gain
Dizziness
Headaches
Low energy
Sleep problems due to hot flushes
and/or hormonal changes
Anxiety and/or depression
Oversensitivity
Painful
and enlarged breasts caused by cysts
everyone is different
The thing to remember is that menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman, though you are unlikely to get all of the symptoms mentioned. It can be hard if mood changes are making you feel like you're going crazy. This can be compounded by unsympathetic reactions to your distress.
perimenopause
The term perimenopause
refers to the time before menopause. This stage can start as much as 5-10 years
before the actual menopause.
The symptoms are usually irregular periods and
a shorter menstrual cycle length is the most common change that occurs during
the perimenopausal period. Other symptoms are the start of hot flushes and night
sweats (known as vasomotor symptoms), mood swings, problems with concentration
and disturbed sleep.
menopause
Menopause is the point in a woman's life when her menstrual periods have stopped for more than a year. The average age of menopause for women in this country is approximately 51 years.
post menopause
Literally,
the term means 'after the menopause'.
A woman's level of oestrogen remains
low after menopause. This can affect many parts of the body, including the sexual
and urinary organs, the heart, and the bones. In that sense the changes of menopause
will be for the rest of your life.
diet and exercise help
Eating the right foods, exercising, and making other positive lifestyle changes can help a woman feel great and live a long, healthy life after menopause.
Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or jogging, is great for maintaining the health of your bones and swimming and yoga will maintain joint mobility.
other articles
Get Rid of
Hot Flushes the Natural Way and How Your Attitude Helps are a couple of articles.
I also have an E Book called:
The Menopause - What Every Woman Needs to
Know