Menopause is a natural progression of hormonal changes in a woman’s body as she ages. After the age of 45 years, women are deemed to enter menopause. This stage can begin a bit earlier or slightly later across different women. Menopause is essentially a stage of hormonal and metabolic transformations where some primary female hormones like progesterone and estrogen start dipping in concentration, almost reaching negligible volumes. This signifies the end of child-bearing capacity of the woman and the end of her fertile or reproductive years.
Menopause—Decoding The Process
The onset of menopause occurs as ovaries gradually stop functioning in the normal manner. This includes the cessation of mature female eggs or ovum being produced and the inability to produce sufficient amounts of hormones, i.e. estrogen and progesterone. The first major indication that a woman is surely menopausal is the absence of menses for almost a year. This signifies that the body has stopped producing the egg that is central to menstruation and the reproductive capacity of the woman has reached its natural end.
Perimenopause & Menopause
Perimenopause is the period that has some symptoms of menopause, i.e. the period gradually building towards menopause. Perimenopausal is found to begin in the 40s among most women and can last between two and four years. Symptoms of this stage and that of menopause are strikingly similar, only differing in their overall intensity. Post-menopausal period begins after a woman has witnessed the absence of menses and when menopause is established without doubt. This is usually the period after the woman has entered her 50s.
Understanding Menopause Symptoms in Detail:
- Vaginal Dryness
Lowered libido levels aren’t the only sexual deterrent in menopause women. They also suffer from vaginal dryness that is caused by reduced blood supply to the reproductive tissues. The tissues tend to become dry, parched and stretchy, making copulation very painful. This is why menopausal women seem to lose interest in sexual activities. This can lead to sexual desires being subdued abnormally and the accompanying frustration. Dipping estrogen levels are primarily responsible for a drier, less lubricated vaginal surface. The skin becomes thinner, making intercourse more painful.
- Emotional Symptoms of Menopause
Some degree of mood swings is associated with women throughout their lifecycle due to sustained hormonal changes. However, with the onset of menopause, these turn into serious emotional episodes. This includes unexplained anger, anxiety and phases of emotional outburst that can make an individual seem losing control of her psychological wellness. The woman might suffer from unexplained changes in mood ranging from sudden sadness to phases of exhilaration.
- Irregular Menstruation
The first indication that a woman is gradually moving towards menopause is the development of irregular periods. The patterns can undergo a massive change. This can include the periods arriving closely clubbed together or being absent in the most unusual manner for longer durations. The flows can become rather heavy and there might be sporadic instance of bleeding.
- Hot Flashes & Night Sweating
These are the two, most suggestive symptoms that a woman is undergoing significant hormonal changes. Night sweating and hot flashes are usually seen in women during their menstrual cycles. However, in menopausal women, these become repetitive and are quite intense. The declining estrogen levels disrupt the body’s temperature-regulating mechanism. This causes the sudden heat sensations followed by short instances of feeling chilled.
- Lowered Fertility
With progesterone and estrogen levels falling considerably, the female body is unable to support and sustain pregnancy. Without a healthy egg cell, fertility cannot be established. Without proper concentrations of progesterone, implantation of the fertilized egg and its development is hampered. A menopausal woman struggles greatly to conceive despite repeated attempts.
- Reduction in Bone Density
Lowered level of estrogen during menopause is the main reason why the body struggles to produce new bone tissue and replace the worn-out bone cells. This also causes decreased ability to route calcium that is required for proper bone development. This is why menopausal women are constantly reminded of taking calcium supplements. This condition is referred to as osteoporosis (softening of bones) and it can make the woman more prone to getting injured seriously at the slightest of physical impacts/falls.