10 Menopausal symptoms you need to know

Menopause: Stages, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Menopause is a great transitional stage for women. Some women may celebrate it, and some may land up in fear.

As a woman, you spend decades of your life dealing with the symptoms of menstruation. Bloating, cramping, mood changes and bleeding for a few days, sometimes at the most inconvenient times, maybe in the most inconvenient outfits too.

Menstrual periods change before your age of 40s when your bodies generate less estrogen and progesterone, and finally, your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and you no longer menstruate.

While most women expect to experience menopause in their early forties, there is no set age for menopause as such. You might also be surprised by your body’s response in such age groups.

Let us continue reading to learn about the typical age of menopause and how to enter it at an earlier or later age, as well as crucial elements that may impact menopause onset.

What does menopause mean?

Menopause refers to that phase of the woman’s life when menstruation stops. This stage marks the end of the ability to conceive and give birth. It is considered that menopause has started when no menstruation is reported for one year.

Menopause is not a disease but a part of the natural aging process.

What are the typical menopause stages?

A woman goes through three stages of menopause:

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is a stage when hormone levels start to decline and start having erratic, irregular menstrual cycles. Some side effects you may experience include hot flashes or vaginal dryness.

Menopause

As defined earlier, menopause occurs when your body stops producing the hormones that cause your menstrual period. Having reached menopause, you enter the postmenopause stage.

Postmenopause

Postmenopause is the period after menopause has occurred. Once this happens, you are in postmenopause for the rest of your life. People in the postmenopause period are at an increased risk for certain health conditions such as osteoporosis and dementia.

Let us dive into the details of these stages.

What is perimenopause?

Perimenopause refers to the period preceding menopause. The quantity of mature eggs in a woman's ovaries reduces during this transition period before menopause, and ovulation becomes unpredictable. Simultaneously, oestrogen and progesterone production diminishes. The majority of menopausal symptoms are caused by a significant decline in oestrogen levels.

Perimenopause is a transitional stage. It is a normal physiological stage occurring before menopause. Perimenopause begins at age of 40s. However, it may start earlier or later. It is considered ended when the woman has not had her menstruation for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause may last from a few months to 8-10 years.

What are the signs of the perimenopause stage?

The following symptoms should be experienced by a woman who has high blood pressure:

• Adverse pregnancy effects
• Breast tenderness
• Worsened premenstrual syndrome
• Fatigue and poor sex drive when menstruating vaginal dryness
• Discomfort during sex
• Urine leakage when coughing
• Need for more frequent urination
• Mood swings and
• Trouble sleeping

At What Age Does Menopause Happen in Women?

The average age for menopause in India is 46 years old, but the transition begins around early 40s. Menopause lasts for quite a few months or years. After that, women enter the post-menopause stage, which stays for the rest of their lives.

How long does Menopause Last?

Symptoms of menopause at age 50 last for a longer period due to recurrent reproductive hormonal changes. In the later section, we will discuss what are the major menopause symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Menopause in a Woman?

Let us explore the different types of symptoms of menopause in women:

Irregular Periods

An irregular period is a common menopause symptom for age 50 women. They might experience changes in the menstrual cycle, such as periods becoming less frequent.

It can last for several years, and the duration may vary from woman to woman. If you are experiencing heavy or prolonged bleeding, it is best to consult a doctor just in case. 

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are one of the most common after menopause symptoms, they create a sudden feeling of intense warmth in the body. It affects almost 75% of women and is accompanied by sweating, flushing, and chills.

This occurs due to a sudden decline in estrogen levels during menopause and lasts for 1 to 2 minutes. Some women may feel a rapid heartbeat and anxiety as menopause hot flashes symptoms.     

Headache

Fluctuating hormone levels can drop the Oestrogen level during menopause, which triggers headaches like migraines and tension headaches. Tension headaches are often linked to stress and muscle tension.  

Premature menopause symptoms like headaches might affect the mucus membranes, which eventually dry out the sinuses. It can cause nasal irritation and mood swings during the menopause phase.     

Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness is a common symptom of menopause at 41 due to declining levels of Oestrogen. It causes the thinning and drying of the vaginal walls, which can cause pain during intercourse and other related discomforts. 

Frequent Urination

The most common age 40 menopause symptoms include frequent urination during the night. Reduced Oestrogen levels weaken the bladder and urethra, leading to urine incontinence.

Weight gain is a major symptom of menopause starting at an early age, leading to weakening and straining of pelvic floor muscles. Weakened and strained pelvic floor muscles contribute to bladder control problems.    

Insomnia

Hormonal fluctuations often cause insomnia or difficulties in sleep, impacting sleep quality. Insufficient sleep may cause daytime fatigue and reduced overall energy levels.

Sometimes, insomnia can affect cognitive function, which will lead to memory problems like impaired decision-making. Chronic insomnia increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems.

Emotional Changes

Fluctuating levels of Oestrogen can lead to various emotional changes like mood swings, anxiety, irritability and depression, impacting mental well-being. Many women experience increased irritability and react more strongly to situations.

Mood swings are one of the most common menopause period symptoms that sometimes can lead to severe cardiovascular diseases. Some can lose interest in work or other household kinds of stuff.    

Premenstrual Tensions

Though PMS or premenstrual tensions cease along with the onset of menopause, some women experience worsened PMS symptoms. It is an emotional symptom of menopause at age 50 women that is often associated with cognitive-related diseases.   

Breast Tenderness

Inclined levels of Oestrogen and progesterone cause breast tenderness or pain during perimenopause and menopause. Many women feel discomfort like aching, tenderness, or burning sensations in their breasts. Every woman does not experience the same discomforts, and some may experience sharp, stabbing, or throbbing sensations.    

Hair Loss

Hormonal shifts during menopause, particularly a decrease in Oestrogen, can lead to shorter hair growth and increased shedding. Oestrogen is a crucial hormone that maintains thickness and hair growth.    

The sudden decline of Oestrogen can shorten the growth phase of hair, leading to more hair shedding and thinning. While hormonal changes are the primary cause, other factors like fatigue, stress, illness and nutrient deficiencies can also contribute to hair loss during menopause.    

What are the Causes of Menopause?

Menopause occurs due to the natural decline of reproductive hormones like oestrogen and progesterone that are produced by the ovaries. As women start to age, their ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and then gradually stopping them altogether. This typically begins in the late 40s or early 50s.

Other causes include surgical removal of ovaries (oophorectomy), chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and certain medical conditions like primary ovarian insufficiency. Lifestyle factors such as smoking may lead to earlier menopause.

What are the Treatments for Menopause?

The menopause age and symptoms vary from region to region still, certain symptoms are similar across the globe. Considering these symptoms experienced by many women, experts have designed different treatments, which will be discussed here in detail.  

Menopause is completely normal and recovers with age, but some women experience pain and other symptoms in the post-menopause stage. There are mainly three types of treatment for menopause symptoms in women.

Hormone Therapy

• Oestrogen: Oestrogen therapy is one of the most effective methods to ease menopausal hot flashes. Additionally, it will ease other menopause-related symptoms and slow bone loss. Healthcare professionals may suggest the lowest dose to relieve the symptoms.
• Long-term use of hormone therapy can have some potential risks of heart disease and breast cancer. On the other hand, hormone therapy around the time of menopause has been beneficial for many women.
• Prasterone (Intrasoa): It is also known as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is injected into the vagina to ease vaginal dryness. Additionally, it eases the pain during intercourse during the menopause phase.
• Progestins: These are widely used to protect the inner lining wall of the uterus due to the lower production of oestrogen. While conducting this hormone replacement therapy, professionals inject a combination of Progesterone and Oestrogen.     

Non-Hormonal Treatments

● Antidepressants: Certain antidepressants like paroxetine, escitalopram, and venlafaxine can manage hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.  

● Gabapentin: It is used to treat any kind of seizure but also helps in easing hot flashes.

● Oxybutynin: This medicine is used to treat an overactive urinary bladder and urinary urge incontinence. However, it has shown a cognitive decline in older adults due to overuse.

These treatments are common for treating menopause symptoms in India.   

Final Takeaway

Every woman experiences menopause after reaching 40 years of age. It is a normal phenomenon when the menstrual cycle ends, and she cannot get pregnant.

Conversely, many women experience intense menopause symptoms, leading to discomfort and mood swings. Proper medication and lifestyle can help reduce these symptoms.