Menopause: Everything You Need to Know

By: Jordan M. Atkins

Edited By: Francine nori Oblero

Full disclosure, this article should NOT be used in replacement of a healthcare provider.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is the result of the ovaries no longer producing estrogen and progesterone. It is officially diagnosed twelve months after your last period, without the influence of surgery, medical conditions, or medications that may have induced changes in a person’s cycle (such as an oophorectomy, compilation in surgery, hormonal birth control, hyperthyroidism, etc.) Menopause marks the end of reproductive years and egg production, and is a natural part of life. This typically affects women in their 50s, but can occur earlier, or later than that.

Symptoms of Menopause

When transitioning into menopause, you may experience several symptoms, including (but are not limited to):

Hot flashes/chills and night sweats
Vaginal dryness and discomfort during intercourse
Having to urinate more frequently
Weight gain and slowed metabolism
Hair thinning and dry skin
Mood changes (anxiety, depression, irritability, loss of energy)

Stages of Menopause

The first stage of menopause is perimenopause. This is when your body is starting to transition into menopause, and this typically occurs in your forties, but can even happen in your thirties, usually around 8-10 years before menopause. During this stage, estrogen levels fluctuate in your body, and in result, the menstrual cycle can become longer, or shorter, and in general more irregular. In the later stages of perimenopause, you may skip periods. During this time of transitioning into menopause, you may experience some of the symptoms listed above.

Other symptoms of perimenopause may also include:

Decreasing fertility (but pregnancy is possible during this time)
More severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
Heavier/lighter periods
Breast tenderness
Changes in cholesterol levels.

After perimenopause you transition into menopause itself, when you are no longer having periods, and your ovaries no longer produce eggs.

Postmenopause refers to your life after going through menopause, and most of the symptoms that come with perimenopause and menopause begin to ease. Unfortunately however, the lower levels of estrogen in your body may result in health issues

Negative Impacts of Menopause

As estrogen levels decrease in your body, you become more susceptible to health issues. Some of the health issues that occur postmenopause can include:

Loss of bone faster than the body can replenish it, this can lead to osteoporosis
Urinary Tract Infections and bladder leakage
Reduced metabolism and weight gain
Atrophic vaginitis
Heart disease

Hormone Therapy

Fortunately, there are treatments to help combat the side-effects of menopause. One of these treatments is hormone therapy. There are estrogen only, and estrogen and progesterone therapies. In estrogen therapy (ET), the recipient takes estrogen alone, often in a pill or a patch. While ET may relieve hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and bone loss, ET may also increase your risks of both breast and uterine cancers, as well as heart disease and deep-vein thrombosis.

Hormone therapy where both progesterone and estrogen are taken, also known as combination therapy, also comes with side-effects such as:

Increased breast cancer risks
Stroke
Deep vein thrombosis
Heart disease
Gallbladder disease.

The risks associated with hormone therapy increase with age. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider about the best course of post-menopausal treatment for you.

There are also non-hormonal therapies that can help ease the impacts of menopause. Eating foods that contain isoflavones (plant estrogen), may help relieve symptoms. Examples of food containing isoflavones are:

Chickpeas
Soybeans
Flaxseed
Beans
Grains
Fruits and vegetables.

Learning what triggers your hot flashes, as well as avoiding those triggers, as well as exercising are all ways to help ease the symptoms of menopause.