Almost every woman undergoes menopause once it reaches the specific age. However it’s important to realize that the symptoms experienced by all women, before and after menopause, are not the same. The signs and symptoms experienced by the women undergoing menopause are very much variable and depend on various factors.
What is Perimenopause?
The transition phase towards menopause is known as perimenopause. During perimenopause, various symptoms are experienced by the female due to the reduction in estrogen production from ovaries. Once the eggs release from the ovaries completely stops, complete menopause is achieved.
The perimenopause phase may last for a year or two before the complete menopause sets in. During this period, perimenopause and menopause can result in a variety of changes in woman’s body.
It’s important for all women reaching that age to understand perimenopause and menopause and signs and symptoms related to them.
What is Menopause
Menopause is a condition that occurs in all women’s life when they reach the age of almost 45. The term menopause refers to any changes in the female body when her body stop menstruating, which marks the end of her reproductive age.
This may sound very simple, but there are a lot of changes that take place in female’s body during this phase. It not only change it physically, but also changes her emotionally and mentally, having a very marked affect on her life and life style.
Although it’s a huge change and can have a lot of affects on the female’s life once she reaches menopause, a women can still continue routine life with the similar daily routine as she had before menopause if she manages it properly and gets expert advice on it, specially if she experiences any unusual symptoms.
What causes Menopause?
When a woman is born, she has a specific number of eggs stored in her ovaries. These eggs are not unlimited in number and get depleted over time with each menstrual cycle.
The ovaries produce and release hormones in the females body including estrogen and progesteron, which control the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Once the ovaries are not able to release any more eggs every month, stoppage of menstruation occurs and menopause sets in.
Menopause is a normal part of female aging and occurs usually after the age of 40.
What is Premature Menopause?
Normally menopause occurs after the age of 40 in women. Some women however, can undergo menopause earlier in their life due to reasons such as surgery (hysterectomy for example), or damage to their ovaries (due to chemotherapy for example), etc.
Menopause occurring before the age of 40, due to any reason, is called premature menopause.
Signs & Symptoms of Menopause
Signs and symptoms experienced by various women during perimenopause and menopause are variable. However the common symptoms experienced by most females include:
- Irregular periods
- Whole body feels hotter due to hot flushes
- Increase in anxiety
- Night sweats
- Cold sweats
- Irritability
- Painful intercourse (because of vaginal dryness)
- Reduction in vaginal secretions, resulting in dryness of vaginal tissue
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Fat gain with loss of muscle mass
Postmenopausal vaginal bleeding
Vaginal bleeding following menopause can be an alarming and therefore should be discussed with an expert gynaecologist (doctor of gynaecology department) immediately to rule out any underlying anomaly. Post menopause bleeding can be due to various diseases including uterine cancer; therefore it should be properly investigated as soon as possible.
If you’re experiencing any symptoms and issues during the menopause phase that are troubling or interfering with your daily routine, consult an expert immediately to get diagnosed and investigated so that proper medication and management can begin on time, avoiding any complications from developing, so that you can lead a normal and better life after menopause.