Menopause, the word most women are familiar with, but few understand it until it knocks at their door. Menopause is an entirely natural biological transition that is usually accompanied by an array of physical and emotional changes, which can be quite confusing and even overwhelming. You are not alone in wondering what to expect or how to navigate this significant life stage. The information below will help demystify menopause and help you better understand the process and what you can do to embrace every stage of this life-altering process. Furthermore, it breaks down when menopause typically starts and the numerous symptoms that signal the start of this stage in life.

An Overview of Perimenopause, Menopause, and Postmenopause

To understand menopause, it is important first to know that it is divided into various stages, namely:

  • Perimenopause

  • Menopause

  • Postmenopause

Think of perimenopause as the pre-show or the slow build-up to menopause. It can start several years before your last period, usually in your 40s, and is marked by changing hormone levels, mostly a drop in estrogen, which causes irregular periods and may bring the first signs of menopausal symptoms. Your body undergoes hormonal changes that warn you that your reproductive years will end. This phase may take several months or up to more than ten years. Thus, its start could feel unpredictable, and its duration could be variable.

Menopause is medically diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, marking the end of reproduction. Your menopausal diagnosis comes when you have missed 12 months of your menstrual period in a row. This is the point at which your ovarian function has fully stopped, and your reproductive potential is permanently gone. It is as though there is a clear finish line following the gradual downhill slope of perimenopause.

On the other hand, postmenopause is all the years after your last period. When you pass that 12-month mark, you are then regarded as permanently postmenopausal. In postmenopause, your hormone level, especially estrogen, is constantly low. Although specific acute symptoms, like hot flashes, can diminish with time, other long-term consequences of reduced estrogen levels, like the loss of bone density, come to the fore. This is an ongoing loss of estrogen, and it is this hormonal shift that is at the root of the whole menopausal transition.

At What Age Does Menopause Begin?

The age of menopause onset varies. However, most women experience menopause between 45 and 55 years for the average age, and about 51 years for the median age. However, this is a mere average, and your own experience can be different.

The time of menopause in a woman can be affected by various factors, namely:

  • Genetics —When your mother or sisters experienced menopause at a certain age, you may simply find yourself following the same pattern

  • Lifestyle choices — An example of this is smoking, which is likely to result in menopause a few years earlier compared to non-smokers

  • Medical treatment or surgery — Medical menopause or chemopause can be caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which may destroy the ovaries. Likewise, a hysterectomy involving the ovaries' removal (oophorectomy) will put you into surgical menopause immediately, no matter how old you are

Symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause

The symptoms of menopause extend beyond the commonly known hot flash and can have a profound effect on your everyday life. The symptoms are directly attributed to rising and lowering levels of hormones, mainly estrogen, which plays a vital role in various body functions.

  1. Common Physical Symptoms

Some of the common physical symptoms include the following:

Hot Flashes

One of the most classic signs of menopause is hot flashes, which are described as the sensation of overwhelming heat spreading all over the body, usually accompanied by sweating and a flushed face. These occur because the hormonal changes influence the hypothalamus, the section of your brain that controls body temperature. To manage the hot flashes, you could:

  • Wear layers of clothing so that you can remove a layer when you feel a hot flash coming on

  • Avoid hot flash triggers like spicy foods or caffeine

  • Practice paced breathing exercises

Night Sweats

You could also experience night sweats, closely related to hot flashes. Night sweats are hot flashes that happen at night, causing disrupted sleep. Keeping your bedroom cool and wearing breathable pajamas can offer some relief.

Menopause Weight Gain

Most women also experience menopause weight gain, especially around the abdomen. This change in fat distribution is correlated to decreased estrogen levels and reduced metabolism. This can be counteracted by including physical exercise and a healthy, whole foods diet.

SLeep Challenges

Sleep issues during perimenopause, for example, insomnia and the inability to stay asleep, are also common. It helps to have a regular sleeping schedule and a calming bedtime atmosphere, should you experience these sleep problems.

Heart Palpitations

Palpitations in perimenopause or menopause may be alarming, as it feels like your heart is pounding or fluttering. Though it is usually harmless and connected to hormonal changes, seeking medical advice to eliminate other possibilities is always prudent.

Fatigue

A common complaint is menopause fatigue, which is a constant feeling of being tired and lacking energy. This exhaustion may be due to inadequate sleep or hormonal adjustments, or it may take the body extra effort to adjust to the transition. More rest, light exercise, and stress-relieving measures can help fight this fatigue.

  1. Emotional and Cognitive Symptoms

In addition to the physical transition, menopause can be accompanied by a dramatic change in emotional and cognitive health, something that can be especially difficult and, at times, alienating. These include:

Brain Fog

Some women experience menopause brain fog, which is the inability to concentrate, memory lapses, and an overall sense of mental fogginess. This is not an imagination but a genuine symptom related to the rising and falling estrogen levels that affect brain functioning, including memory and cognitive processing.

These cognitive shifts are a regular and biochemically inclined part of the transition.

Anxiety

Some women experience heightened worry or nervousness, which can be severe enough to include panic attacks. The hormonal rollercoaster may exacerbate this, as estrogen affects neurotransmitters like serotonin, which regulate mood.

Mood Swings

You could experience sudden mood changes, which are often intense and unpredictable. This can lead to sudden shifts from happiness to irritability or sadness. Some women also develop what is informally called the menopause rage, which is the unexpected and intense feeling of anger that may be quite disturbing. These mood swings can be traced to the dramatic hormonal changes in your body, which affect the emotional control centers in your brain.

In others, these mood swings could graduate into perimenopause depression, a more lingering feeling of sadness and hopelessness that should be attended to by a professional.

  1. Intimate and Physical Health Changes

Less-discussed, but equally significant, intimate and overall physical health changes also occur during menopause, particularly:

Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness, a direct consequence of lowered estrogen levels, is one of the most common and, in many cases, distressful.

Estrogen helps keep vaginal tissues elastic, lubricated and healthy with blood supply, and when it decreases, tissues can become thin, dry and inflamed. This may, in turn, lead to low libido during menopause and also make sexual intercourse painful or even unbearable. Discussing these intimate health issues with a medical professional can significantly improve your quality of life.

Hair Loss

Many women experience menopause hair loss, thinning hair, or a change in hair texture. This is also attributed to hormonal changes, mainly the ratio of estrogen to androgens.

Dry Skin

Equally, dry skin in menopause is common since estrogen contributes to skin hydration and collagen synthesis, thus leading to a lack of elasticity and moisture.

Brittle Nails

You could experience brittle nails because hormone changes can influence the strength and growth of nails.

Note: Although these symptoms may not be serious when considered alone, they form part of a more comprehensive physical change experience that goes hand in hand with the menopausal transition.

How to Manage Menopause

It may seem daunting to address the numerous symptoms of menopause. However, there are various options that you can employ to make it through this transitional period in your life. The good news is that you can choose between embracing lifestyle adjustments and exploring medical solutions so that you can take charge of your health. Some of the solutions include the following:

  1. Lifestyle and Natural Strategies

Lifestyle changes and natural remedies can provide a great deal of relief from menopausal symptoms to many women, and should be considered a first line of defense.

Eating Nutrient-Dense Foods

As far as the menopausal diet is concerned, nutrient-dense foods are the way to go. Adding calcium and Vitamin D is also essential to maintain bone health, as the reduced estrogen levels put a woman at risk of osteoporosis. Excellent sources include dairy products, leafy greens, and fatty fish.

Mild estrogen-like effects can also be provided by phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds in foods like flaxseeds and certain fruits and vegetables. However, they may help relieve some people's hot flashes and other symptoms.

Regular Exercises

Another mainstay of symptom management is regular exercise for menopause. It is also important to perform weight-bearing exercises, including walking, jogging, or strength training, to preserve bone density and decrease the chances of fractures.

Heart-healthy cardiovascular exercises like swimming or cycling can also be helpful, especially after menopause. Moreover, less intense disciplines, like yoga and Pilates, could greatly assist in managing stress, enhance flexibility, and promote well-being.

To manage stress, you can opt for mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises to relax the nervous system and lessen the severity of hot flashes, as well as ease anxiety that may be linked to hormonal changes during menopause.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, one of the significant constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a natural and often successful way of dealing with menopausal symptoms. It is a prehistoric technique that entails inserting extremely fine needles at particular points on the body to restore balance to the circulation of energy in the body. It is referred to as Qi.

TCM tends to see menopausal symptoms as a form of imbalance or obstruction of this energy. Acupuncture can be beneficial in:

  • Reducing the intensity and occurrence of hot flashes

  • Helping to enhance sleep patterns by treating night sweats and insomnia

  • Balancing mood swings through relaxation and decreased anxiety

If you are thinking of trying acupuncture during menopause, find a licensed or certified acupuncturist (L.Ac) to receive professional and risk-free care.

Having realistic expectations also helps. Although many women feel great relief, reaching long-term effects usually takes several sessions. This offers a credible, non-medical option to individuals who want an all-natural approach to symptom management.

  1. Medical Treatments

Medical interventions are worth considering for some whose symptoms of menopause are not adequately reduced by lifestyle adjustments.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), or Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT), is a much-debated and often effective medical intervention. HRT is the use of estrogen, and occasionally progesterone, to provide the hormones that your body can no longer produce. It will help to relieve various symptoms, like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and it can be used to assist with bone density. HRT is usually recommended to women who have moderate or severe symptoms that affect their quality of life considerably.

HRT is a personal choice that must be discussed with a healthcare provider. It also requires weighing individual benefits against possible risks.

The positive effects of HRT commonly include:

  • Significant decrease in hot flashes and night sweats

  • Better sleep

  • Relief from vaginal dryness and painful intercourse

  • Potential decrease in bone loss

  • Improved mood for some

HRT risks, depending on the type of HRT, dosage, and individual health factors, may include:

  • A slightly increased risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart disease, particularly when initiated many years after the onset of menopause

  • Some types of cancer, like breast cancer, are affected by some formulations with long-term use

Beyond HRT, there are a few non-hormonal options used to treat menopause in women who can not or prefer not to use hormones. These include:

  • Low-dose antidepressants, namely some Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), may help to minimize the occurrence and intensity of hot flashes

  • Gabapentin, an anti-seizure drug, is another non-hormonal medication that has been promising in the treatment of hot flashes as well as promoting sleep

Find an Acupuncturist Near Me

Menopause, as we have examined, is a profound and complex experience, and in no way a mere biological endpoint. It is a transformational time filled with various changes, but it also brings a strong new chapter in your life. Understanding its stages, symptoms, and management techniques will help you approach this change with certainty and elegance. Keep in mind, you are not alone in these changes.

If you seek a more comprehensive traditional approach to treating your menopause symptoms and improving your overall well-being in Torrance, talk to the team at Trinity Acupuncture. We will help address the issue through ancient wisdom to help you thrive in this new phase of life. Call us at 310-371-1777.