Menopause is a pivotal moment or milestone in every woman’s life. It’s an event that every person born with a womb goes through and it indicates the end of their reproductive years. However, despite the fact that it affects nearly half of the world’s population, it’s still a grossly misunderstood topic because of stigmas and misconceptions.
In the last few years, there has been an uptick in the number of companies that have been recognizing the health implications of menopause on women. This has resulted in organizations introducing particular policies and programs that aim to support women going through it. In 2021, women aged 50 and over accounted for 26% of all women and girls globally, up from 22% just ten years earlier. Let’s start by answering a fundamental question first.
What is menopause?
Menopause is a point in time when a woman has gone 12 months without having a period. On average, it happens at the age of 52. It’s a natural process that happens when a woman’s ovaries no longer produce reproductive hormones. But there are other ways menopause can happen as well. For example, when menopause happens because of a medical treatment or surgery, it’s called induced menopause. The hormonal changes that happen because of menopause cause uncomfortable emotional and physical symptoms. To combat issues like this, women often opt for HRT and menopause treatment.
In every case, menopause happens in three different stages.
What are the three stages of menopause?
If menopause doesn’t happen because of any surgery or medical treatment, the process is gradual. It happens in three stages for everyone:
Menopause transition or perimenopause
Perimenopause usually begins four to eight years before menopause occurs. This is when a woman’s body produces less and less estrogen with every passing year. This usually starts happening when a woman is in their 40s. That said, the process can be very different for every woman. Some women can stay in perimenopause for several months, while some can stay in it for several years. Several women can start feeling its symptoms early on like mood swings, irregular periods, or hot flashes.
Menopause
This is when you no longer have menstrual periods. At this point, a woman’s ovaries are no longer producing eggs and the body isn’t producing a lot of estrogen either. Unlike other stages of menopause, women don’t stay in this stage.
Postmenopause
This is what happens when you’ve gone through menopause. Women stay in postmenopause for the rest of their lives. While other symptoms associated with menopause can ease up with time, some women can continue to have postmenopausal symptoms for many years when they’re in this stage. It’s also important to know that women in the postmenopausal stage have an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis since they have low estrogen.
What are the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause?
Perimenopause and menopause can be varying experiences for everyone. Some women can experience life altering changes. These changes have an impact on their job, daily life, relationships and social life while some may not experience any symptoms at all. Symptoms can happen during both stages (perimenopause and menopause) and even when menopause has ended (postmenopause). In some cases, ethnic backgrounds can play a role, too. This factor can decide how severe the symptoms are and how long they persist. For instance, black women are more likely to have hot flashes that last for a longer time and can be more severe.
Periods are different
This is usually the first sign of perimenopause. It changes your periods. Depending on a lot of factors, they can happen less or more often and women may bleed lighter or heavier. Eventually, however, periods stop completely.
Problems sleeping
Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep is another problem that can affect your daily life during menopause. It makes women feel anxious, stressed, and irritable. This problem can feel a lot worse if you’re struggling with night sweats.
Night sweats and hot flashes
Hot flashes are when the chest, face and neck suddenly feel very hot. This makes you sweat a lot. When the sweat starts to evaporate you feel cold. It also causes anxiety, palpitations and makes you feel dizzy. Even though they’re called night sweats, they can also happen during the day.
Brain fog, mood changes and poor memory
This is also a common symptom of menopause. Some women experience depression, mood swings or feel low in general when they’re going through menopause. They may also face problems remembering stuff and have difficulty concentrating. These problems can feel a lot worse if you’re tired or have problems sleeping.
Menopause can be a time when you experience newfound freedom or great change. You’re no longer surprised by your period or don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. It’s essential that you embrace this change by looking after yourself emotionally, physically and spiritually. Stay active, form positive and rewarding relationships and engage in new adventures.
