When I was in graduate school and learning the physiology of our life cycles, I was horrified when I learned about menopause. As you will see in this article, the list of things we may expect to happen is long and unpleasant. On top of that I was given a long list of chronic diseases for which I would be at increased risk.
I was determined that when I reached menopause, I was signing up for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the rest of my life because I did not want to live that menopausal life!
However, results from the Woman’s Health Initiative showed that HRT has its own significant problems so was not necessarily an automatic or long-term solution. Needing to think about things differently, I learned and experienced the significant impact of diet and lifestyle on my transition through menopause. More importantly, I learned how amazing the menopause journey is in terms of self-discovery and empowerment.
We will dig into this more deeply in future articles, but for now, I want to review what menopause is so that we are all on the same page. It may seem a bit overwhelming, but knowledge is power!
Menopause
During our reproductive years – from the time we start having a period to the time we stop – we release an egg each month from our ovaries. The maturation and release of an egg requires a series of hormonal changes with each monthly cycle. This includes the production and release of estrogen and progesterone from our ovaries.
As we head into menopause, we run out of viable eggs and ovulation stops happening. With that, the amount of estrogen and progesterone drops sharply. Menopause (a pause in our menses) is defined as when periods have stopped for one year. This happens typically around the age of 50, but each woman is different. Menopause can also happen with a hysterectomy when the ovaries are removed, or as a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. (Taking birth control that stops your period is NOT menopause.)
The transition to menopause – perimenopause – can begin as much as 10 years before menopause. However, you may only notice signs as you get closer to menopause – about two years prior on average. As part of this transition, periods may become more irregular – more frequent, less frequent, heavier or lighter. Only when you have not had a period for one year can you consider yourself having transitioned from perimenopause to menopause. Though fertility decreases with age, there is still a possibility to become pregnant until you are fully in the menopause.
What to expect with menopause
What can we expect? Well, to be blunt, the list is long. The most common signs and features of perimenopause and menopause include:
- Hot flashes – short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty
- Night sweats – hot flashes that occur at night
- Difficulty sleeping – this may make you feel tired and irritable during the day, sometimes this is due to night sweats
- A reduced sex drive (libido)
- Problems with memory and concentration
- Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
- Headaches
- Mood changes, such as low mood or anxiety
- Palpitations – heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable
- Joint stiffness, aches and pains
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Thinning hair and dry skin
About eight in every 10 women will experience some of these phenomena for some time before and after their periods stop.
Each woman will have different experiences at different levels of intensity and for different lengths of time. Unfortunately, for about 20 percent of women, the transition can be severe and debilitating.
On average, most of these signs and features last around four years from your last period. However, around one in every 10 women experience them for up to 12 years.
In addition, menopause can put us at increased risk of diseases such as osteoporosis (weak bones). You may also hear that menopause is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease – among other chronic diseases. But it’s likely that much of this is due to risk factors that increase around the time of menopause as well as lifestyle habits we had prior to menopause. As we will cover in future articles, there is much that can be done around diet and lifestyle to help with signs of menopause as well as risk for chronic diseases.
Stay calm and carry on
As you read through the list, you might think everyone is going through menopause! Or it might be difficult to know if some of the things you are experiencing are due to menopause or due to a stressful time at work or home. Getting your hormones tested during perimenopause is not always helpful because we have fluctuating hormones anyway with our monthly cycle. However, to some extent it does not really matter whether you are having these experiences because of stress or because of menopause. There is value in addressing them to bring more balance and harmony in your life.
If you happen to be getting to that age where this might be menopause, then I invite you to embrace this journey. It is a new beginning, not an end. And whether you are in perimenopause or many years post-menopause, it’s never too early or too late to make efforts to improve your health.
Next up… Diet.
