The Experience of Menopause

Ladies world over fear "fifty". While men get devious at forty, ladies get confounded at fifty! This age is the age when a lady encounters menopause. For some ladies, menopause is a frightful period that is set apart by hot flushes, lavish sweating, sleep deprivation, vaginal dryness and emotional episodes. Amid menopause, a lady's body experiences extraordinary physical and mental changes also. Decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone cause a considerable measure of issues for ladies. These hormones are in charge of the menstrual cycle as well as shield them from genuine maladies of the heart and the bone like osteoporosis. The current science has an impeccable answer for these issues called the "Hormone substitution treatment".

"Male menopause is a lot more fun than female menopause. With female menopause you gain weight and get hot flashes. Male menopause - you get to date young girls and drive motorcycles." (11)

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation ceases. The absence of hormones and a monthly period prevents pregnancy from happening. Though many women mistake the years leading up to their last period as menopause, this, is perimenopause, the term used for the transition. Women may assume that pregnancy is not possible at any stage leading up to menopause, but this simply is not true. If you are still producing hormones to ovulate there is a chance of pregnancy, and contraception is still necessary. It is important that women at this stage in their reproductive health seek the advice of an OBGYN to discuss the need

Heat characteristic of this period occur because decreased levels of estrogen affects the thermoregulatory center, the brain region responsible for regulating the body temperature. It detonates a true thermal runaway. More than a torment, the arrival of hot flushes should be seen as a warning. Victims of hot flashes will go through the menopause. This could be the end of menstruation and childbearing life. The hot flashes and other symptoms can remain for up to five years after menopause. Some women, however, go through menopause without feeling any discomfort, especially those who have healthy life. However, most are not only affected by heat waves. You can also experience decreased libido, vaginal dryness caused by, and failures in memory, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, anxiety

Once a woman reaches her 50s, she is likely to start noticing changes in her skin. Menopause causes a decrease in estrogen, which can lead to dryness. Collagen production also decreases after menopause. This can lead to sagging skin and wrinkles.

Menopause may feel like it’s something you have to live with, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact it can mean a positive change to your life: a time for making lifestyle changes. There are many simple changes you can make that will have a big impact on your menopause symptoms. Here are 7 easy menopause tips you can start today.

Menopause is a transitional phase that every woman must endure. The affects that hormonal changes create during this transition can produce feelings of sadness and irritability. Menopause can be viewed as closing a chapter of life and eagerly awaiting the finale. A new beginning or a time of frustration; this transition can only be defined by the individual experiencing this phase.

These positions differ every few years based on evidence to support or refute previously held recommendations like cooling techniques for hot flashes, which was rescinded in the 2015 position statement ("Nonhormonal management of menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms: 2015 position statement of The North American Menopause Society," 2015). Turning points are experiences that represent a substantial change and lead to a new pathway (Glen H. Elder & Rockwell, 1979). Entering menopause is a turning point for many women, especially if onset signifies changes in their domestic roles or societal expectations. The timing of an event, or when in life something occurs, matters. The timing of menopause occurrence is typically in middle-age and may coincide with career changes, grandparenthood, or other new life trajectory. If, however, menopause onset was unexpectedly early, this may disrupt a woman’s reproductive plans and suddenly bring upon the transition to menopause. The life course perspective emphasizes understanding the life course within larger structures of time and history (Glen H. Elder & Rockwell,

Weight gain the hormonal changes of menopauses can add to weigh problems particularly in the mid-section causing increased belly fat named visceral fat that is underneath the subcutaneous fat. By exercising regularly during the day and not at night. Taking control of your diet intake play a huge part during menopause and weight gain, by monitoring your sugar and caffeine intake. Hair changes there are two issues while going through menopause. Thinning hair on the scalp and unwanted facial hair on the chin and chest area. It is caused by the rapid drop in estrogen levels combined with the slower reduction in androgen levels (a male sex hormone, testosterone). Skin changes can run the gamut, from dry itchy skin to oily skin causing adult acne. Irregular menstruation, hot flashes and night sweats, which transmit to insomnia and sleep issues. The best bedtime habits to have for hot flashes and insomnia, is going to bed at the same time each night and limit long naps during the day, wear cotton pajamas and keep your bedroom cool with good ventilation. There is also elevated heart rate causing you to feel like you’re having a panic attack, palpitation and the feeling of your heart pounding rapidly. Mood changes when hormones are fluctuating during this time, making it difficult to concentrate, you tend to be more forgetful, irritability, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Vaginal discomfort and urinary issues, because of the decline of estrogen the lining and tissues of the vagina and urinary tract become thinner and drier leading to less elastic and muscle control. Bone loss plays a big part during a woman’s life especially during menopause and postmenopause the risk factors for osteoporosis are higher during this time. Research indicates that up to 20% of bone loss can occur during these stages (Hormone Health Network page 22). A good way to prevent bone loss is through dairy products by eating dark

Menopause is the normal time of life when menstrual periods stop completely and your ovaries stop producing the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This can affect your health and cause undesirable symptoms. HRT can relieve some of those symptoms.

Symptoms can emerge as the female body adjusts to the decrease in estrogen levels as a result of natural or surgical menopause. Conversely, some women may experience no symptoms where others may experience one or all. Inadequate estrogen levels can also contribute to changes in the vaginal and urinary tracts, which can cause painful intercourse and urinary infections. Symptoms may last for several months or years and have been reported to vary greatly in onset and severity. Fleeting hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue are the most frequently communicated symptoms. Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by decrease in bone mass and density, causes the bones to become fragile and is a long-term condition associated with menopause.

Many women start wondering when menopause will hit because they can’t take the pain of their monthly period. Other women want to stay abreast of the menopause clock because they are still trying to have children. Menopause, of the stopping of the menstrual cycle, can occur in a women who are as early as 40. Such women can see symptoms in their 30s, as well.

Recently she isn’t having any speech therapy, she can remember things much better and she only go to physical therapy once a week, so it is very interesting to know that she is getting much better and improving every day which is a positive result toward her health. Based on the article “Menopause, Local Biologies, and Cultures of Aging.” by Lock and Kaufert, said, “Researchers have described women as facing a dramatic increase in the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and Alzheimer’s, all as the result of the impact of changing hormone levels, particularly the decline in estrogen.” Which mean, women are subjective in biological changes during their sage of life. It is very difficult to see those types of symptoms occurring unless

·     Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases.

Mitchel and Barnes (2005) note that menopause or peri-menopause has the effect of increasing depressive symptoms or initiating the onset of depressive symptoms. A systematic review of literature on the impact of menopause on the course of bipolar disorder indicate that postmenopausal women reported worsening mood symptoms particularly depression (Mitchel & Barnes, 2005). A study by Dalal and Agarwal (2015) on postmenopausal syndrome found that 75% of women investigated experienced vasomotor symptoms; in some case the symptoms lasted for up to 10 years. The symptoms included hot flushes, emotional lability, difficulty in concentrating and insomnia. The highlighted symptoms are similar to bipolar disorder symptoms.