Menopause

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural process that all women undergo as they age. It is the permanent cessation of menstruation. 

Menopause is also called “change of life” as it marks the end of the reproductive years. This is a result of the loss of ovarian activity.

When a woman has gone through 12 months in a row without menses, she has officially reached menopause.

The transition phase leading up to this point is called perimenopause. The time after this point is called postmenopause but is often still referred to as menopause.

When does menopause start?

In North America and Europe, women have their last menstrual period at an average age of 51. However, the range is very large. Some women reach menopause at age 40, others at 60 years. 

As a general rule, the menopausal transition is said to last 2 times 5 years. 5 years before the last menstrual period and 5 years after. 

The different phases of menopause

Menopause is part of the female reproductive cycle. This cycle starts between ages 10 and 16 with puberty and the beginning of menstruation. Where puberty is the beginning of the fertile period of women, menopause marks its end. 

However, the transition to menopause is made up of multiple stages.  The phase from the first menstrual period to perimenopause is sometimes called premenopause. However, this term is not used by healthcare providers. 

Perimenopause means “around menopause”. It usually begins with changes in the menstrual cycle such as irregular or missing periods. This transition phase often causes menopause-like symptoms. 

Hormonal changes are the reason for this. As a woman enters perimenopause, her ovaries gradually begin to stop producing hormones. This leads to a decreased level of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. 

The complicated balance of hormones breaks down and causes changes in the menstrual period. Initially, there are relatively strong fluctuations. These can lead to a number of symptoms.

Signs of Menopause

These changes in hormone levels affect many systems in the body.   

Menopausal symptoms that occur during perimenopause include vaginal dryness and thinning of the vaginal tissues, sleep disturbances, and mood swings. 

Also, many women experience hot flashes, sweating, reddening of the skin, headaches, and changes in cognition and memory. 

In addition, they might suffer from fatigue, weight gain, urinary incontinence or concerns, and low libido.

These symptoms affect each woman very uniquely and the severity varies a lot.

How long do menopause symptoms last?

On average, the perimenopausal phase lasts around 4 years. For most women, menopausal symptoms will decrease a few years following menopause. 

When Symptoms Become Too Much

Menopausal symptoms can be very broad. Some of the most common ones include menstrual changes such as longer time between periods and changes in the menstrual flow. Vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats are also very common. 

Physical symptoms include vaginal and skin dryness, decrease in bone density with risk of osteoporosis, weight gain, and urinary problems. 

Mental symptoms include cognition changes, mood swings, feeling irritable, depression, and sleep disturbance. 

Women can also suffer from headaches, palpitations, loss of sex drive, muscle or joint problems, and more.

When these symptoms become too much, they can be very exhausting. 

Since hormones are responsible for many symptoms of menopause, it seems obvious to treat them with hormones from the outside. So-called hormone replacement therapy is often recommended. 

Hormone therapy is to help mediate the symptoms but not to stop menopause. Discuss the options, but also possible dangers and limits with your doctor.

Herbal or homeopathic remedies might be an alternative treatment. Especially for moderate symptoms and those who see the change as a natural transition to a new phase of life.

Some medicinal plants have hormone-like effects. They can be used in so-called phytotherapy. A homeopathic remedy has a different effect. It creates a specific stimulus in our body that stimulates its self-healing powers.

After all, menopause is a natural process that all women need to go through in their lives.

Other Causes of Menopause

Sometimes, menopause can occur years earlier than the natural age from other causes. 

If this happens anytime before the age of 40, it is known as premature menopause. When it happens before age 45, it is called early menopause.

Some possible reasons for both include cancer treatment, surgery (removal of the uterus or ovaries), or certain health conditions.

Premature ovarian failure is a rare condition where the period also stops earlier than usual. The current medical term is primary ovarian insufficiency since there is a chance that the period will occasionally come back.

Whatever the cause of menopause, the associated symptoms can be similar and equally draining. 

Support may be needed to address the hormonal changes resulting in these symptoms. They can be in the form of homeopathic or herbal remedies, lifestyle changes, or hormone replacement therapy.

FAQ - Women’s Health

Q: Does menopause cause osteoporosis?

A: Menopause does not cause osteoporosis. However, menopausal women are more prone to bone loss and to develop osteoporosis. 

One of the reasons for this is that osteoporosis is closely related to estrogen deficiency. Typically, estrogen prevents bone resorption. Dropping hormone levels in menopausal women lead to more bone resorption than formation. This results in osteoporosis. 

Q: Does menopause cause heart disease?

A: Menopause does not cause heart disease, but it increases the risk for it. 

Q: How long does menopause last?

A: Menopause happens when a woman does not menstruate for 12 straight months. This point in time is preceded by a transition phase, called perimenopause. In this phase, the hormones begin falling and menopausal symptoms start appearing. 

Perimenopause lasts for 4 years on average. However, it can last between a few months and 10 years before menopause is reached. 

A new balance must be established by the body. How long this takes and how much the general condition is affected varies significantly from person to person.

In most cases, symptoms will decrease a few years following menopause. 

Q: Are there tips or home remedies for menopausal symptoms?

A: A positive attitude can help to cope with unpleasant symptoms. Women who are active, eat well and exercise enough often have far fewer problems than those who surrender to their suffering.

• Eating a balanced diet with sufficient vitamins and basic minerals helps lessen the risk of osteoporosis.
• A healthy and varied diet helps to reduce symptoms associated with the aging process. Dietary supplements, such as vitamin D and B vitamins, can provide additional support.
• Changing your diet and doing more exercise can help get a grip on weight problems. It also boosts your fitness and heart health.
• Avoiding stimulants like coffee, black tea, and cigarettes can help with hot flashes and sweating.
• Avoiding stress or doing relaxation exercises often notably improves general well-being.

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