There comes a stage in a woman’s life when her reproductive cycle takes a bow and exits. This blessed time is known as Menopause. She can now rest from the stress of tampons and menstrual cramps.
From this time, certain hormonal changes cause a stop to her menstrual flow. However, there are a lot of things this stage of life is not. Menopause is not a time in a woman’s life to be jittery or regretful. It is not a disease!
Just like adolescence and puberty, menopause is a normal stage of life that every woman goes through. Your reproductive years as a female started with your menarche and will end with menopause.
This time brings with it a lot of physical and emotional challenges. Some of these, in certain women, may require the use of medical treatments and therapies. Other women will not need any intervention to handle theirs.
Here’s what happens at menopause:
Somewhere during “middle age”, the ovaries stop producing estrogen. This hormone is known to help in controlling the menstrual cycle in women.
The age at which every woman experiences menopause varies but the range is usually your late 40s or early 50s. However, on some rare occasions it can begin in the late 30s.
Many women start having erratic periods in their 40s and this is a sign that you are in the perimenopause stage. When estrogen levels start fluctuating it causes changes in the menstrual cycle. The result may be lighter or heavier periods and even missing a cycle or 2.
Important Things Women Should Know About Menopause
www.bosterbio.com educates you on what to look out for and do during your menopausal stage.
Here are some things you should know about menopause as a woman.
At what age should a woman expect menopause to start?
Menopause doesn’t just come unannounced. It begins with a perimenopause stage before proceeding to menopause and then to postmenopause. Menopause occurs at an average age of 51 according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
A lot of changes occur in your body during menopause. These changes lead to the symptoms you experience during this stage of your reproductive cycle.
Menopausal symptoms occur due to a decrease in the production of hormones progesterone and estrogen in the female body.
These symptoms include:
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness (as a result of vaginal atrophy)
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain
- Urinary tract changes
Although the aforementioned are considered common symptoms, some women experience severe issues such as osteoporosis.
Why does osteoporosis(brittle bones) occur during menopause?
Naturally, as the human body ages it tends to lose bone mass. As women age past 35 and ride into menopause, they begin to witness a loss of bone density.
Due to low levels of estrogen, bone density depreciates rapidly. This will increase the chances of osteoporosis and risk of bone fractures. Osteoporosis can be detected with the help of a test called bone mass densitometry (BMD).
After menopause, there is an increase in levels of the reproductive hormone known as Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH is responsible for weight gain and loss of bone mass. Research has discovered the possibility of blocking the action of FSH after menopause. Using advanced scientific methods involving mouse monoclonal antibody production, the goal is to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and obesity.
Relief for menopausal symptoms.
Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) can be applied in the measurement of hormone levels. This detects a decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels to diagnose if relief therapies such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could be effective.
HRT can include the replacement of both estrogen and progesterone, or just estrogen for women who have had an earlier hysterectomy.
Can menopause be treated?
No. Menopause is not a disease and as such cannot be treated. Moreover, it is the symptoms and medical conditions which arise as a result of menopause that can be managed with therapies and supplements.
A healthy diet that involves calcium and vitamin D for strong bones is vital. Include proper exercise and this may be all a woman needs to live a healthy postmenopausal life.
Does every woman experience the same symptoms?
Certainly not. Every woman has symptoms individual to themselves.
The symptoms of menopause vary for each woman even if they are from the same family. This is because of age variations and the different rates at which ovary function declines.
Menopause is not a one-size-for-all-women kinda thing. It comes with different baggage for each woman as he journeys through. Some women experience menopause with little or no problems. Others will suffer symptoms that interfere with their everyday lives.
HRT poses various risks and benefits depending on a woman’s medical history. You should always consult your healthcare provider to discuss the pros and cons of using these therapies.
Why does sexual intercourse hurt during menopause?
Vaginal atrophy during menopause causes vaginal dryness and may result in painful sex. There are many lubricants and jelly available. These help counter the dryness and allow a pleasurable sexual experience during this phase in a woman’s life.
In Conclusion
Staying healthy during and after menopause requires that you:
- Eat healthy meals especially foods rich in calcium and vitamin D for strong bones.
- Take regular health care tests and examinations to identify early signs of osteoporosis.
- Exercise regularly to reduce weight gain and prevent loss of bone density.
- Reduce stress levels.
My name is Andrea Thompson and I’m a home based freelance writer. I’m 23 years old, married to my best friend, and mother to a wonderfully independent and opinionated 3 year old girl and step-mother to a sweet seven year old boy. I live in a tiny, little town in Kentucky, where I spend my free time fishing with my kids.
Writing has always been my passion, which I followed through high school, and for a while in college. Life happened, and once I discovered we were pregnant, I switched directions; opting for the healthcare industry because of the stability.
Finally, years later, I was in a place where I could leave the day job that never truly made me happy, and pursue my dreams. I’ve built, and am still building, my writing career from scratch. But, I’m passionate and I’m good at what I do. And, in the end, I can prove to my daughter that she can do anything she wants with this life.
