Common Menopause Symptoms and How to Manage Them

Menopause is a condition wherein your regular menstrual cycle or period stops. It is for your own good!

Menopause is usually diagnosed after 12 months when you do not have vaginal bleeding or spotting. It can happen either in your 40s or 50s. If that is the age for your menopause, do not worry! It is natural.

However, you may face physical symptoms like hot flashes or emotional symptoms such as sleep disturbance, low energy, or mood changes. There are quite several effective therapies, from lifestyle changes to hormone therapy, to help you sail through your menopause better.

Common Menopause Symptoms

Mostly, your menopause happens over time without apparent symptoms. The months or years building up to your menopausal condition are called perimenopause or transitional menopause.

In the transition phase, your ovaries may produce different amounts of hormones. The perimenopausal phase usually lasts for around 2 to 8 years, averaging to 4 years.

The hormonal changes resulting in menopause symptoms are –

• irregular symptoms
• hot flashes
• night sweats
• mood swings
• sleep disturbance
• vaginal dryness

Your menopause symptoms may differ from those of your friend, colleague, or subordinate. Mainly, your periods may become irregular before it reaches the menopausal stage. The perimenopause phase is often characterised by skipped periods. Usually, you may not have your period for a month or two, and then it might suddenly return.

Period cycles get shorter during your early perimenopause. This might bring your periods closer together. As menopause comes closer, your periods go apart for months before they completely stop.

What Are the Causes of Menopause?

Menopause results from

Natural Hormonal Decline

In your late 30s, your ovaries start producing hormones in lower quantities. These hormones, called estrogen and progesterone, control your menstrual periods.

In your 40s, you may experience longer or shorter menstrual periods. They may either be heavier or lighter and more often or less frequent. There will be a time when your ovaries will stop the further release of eggs. Post this, you will not get your regular periods.

Oophorectomy

Ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone hormones to control your menstrual cycle. Surgical removal of your ovaries results in instant menopause.

This stops your regular periods, and you will likely deal with hot flashes. Menopause symptoms can worsen further as surgery results in a drop of your hormone levels gradually.

Surgical removal of your uterus or hysterectomy won’t contribute to your menopause. You may no longer have your routine menstrual cycles. However, your ovaries may still cause egg release, and those essential hormones continue to be produced.

Suggested Read: Understanding Premature Birth: Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention

How Should You Manage Your Menopause Symptoms?

There is no treatment available or required to treat your menopause. Available treatments primarily aim at easing menopause symptoms and managing the ongoing conditions that may happen with ageing. Medically, menopause treatments suggested by the best gynecologist in Kanpur are:

Hormone Therapy

Menopausal hot flashes are treatable with estrogen therapy. It eases other menopause symptoms and slows down the process of your bone loss.

Your doctor may initially suggest the lowest dose of estrogen therapy for you. It works well for those below 60 years of age and within 10 years of your menopause onset.

Vaginal Estrogen

Vaginal dryness can be relieved with vaginal estrogen. This is available in the form of tablets or creams or a ring. Furthermore, it helps you with a small amount of estrogen, which is readily absorbed by your vaginal tissue. It not only eases your vaginal dryness but also your pain associated with urinary symptoms and intercourse.

Low-dose Medicines or Antidepressants

There are few antidepressants available in the market for relieving your menopausal symptoms of hot flashes. These are SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SNRIs, or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

Intimacy

If none of the above works, your doctor can suggest you use a water-soluble vaginal lubricant while having intercourse. Do not attempt with petroleum jelly. There are over-the-counter vaginal moisturisers available for improving your vaginal dryness. Check with your doctor for use of vaginal estrogen creams.

Once your period stops for a year or so, you can no longer conceive. Before that, you can use birth control pills to avoid pregnancy. Avoid using mineral oils or other oils as they are likely to damage your latex condoms or diaphragms.

Conclusion

Menopause is a natural call and routine in your ageing process. You do not need to worry about it. Both the physical and emotional menopause symptoms can be equally challenging. Fortunately, there are treatment options available. Consult your doctor if you find it difficult to manage your menopause symptoms at home.