The most important thing about menopause, you must know, is that it doesn’t happen in a day. Unlike the beginning of the menstrual cycle for most women, menopause can start over a long period, which is known as perimenopause. With that being said, there is not a lot of discussion about menopause and what you should expect from it. So, to help you gracefully navigate the change that is menopause, here are 10 menopause facts and information to help you learn more about menopause and sexual health along with the connections of menopause and mental health.
 

10 Menopause Facts & Information That You Must Know
 

Be Aware Of The Early Symptoms

Early symptoms of menopause can range from having a low or irritable mood to feeling like you are losing your sense of self. Hormonal changes in your body have profound effects on your mental health, and unless you know that these changes are being caused by menopause. It is difficult to navigate them yourself. So, if you are experiencing frequent mood swings and you are above 30, consider visiting a gynecologist.

Understand Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the period before you hit menopause. This period can last as long as 4 to 8 years and leads to a gradual decline of progesterone and estrogen levels in your body. It can also accompany physical symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Perimenopause can set in as early as when you are over 30. During this period, your regular menstrual cycle may become irregular. Check with your doctor in such cases to understand if the underlying cause is menopause or not.

Know About The Changes Your Body Will Go Through

Menopause is not a sudden change at all. Perimenopause itself can go for as long as 8 years and menopause itself sets in after 12 months of your last period. Even though you gradually transition towards menopause, there are still certain changes your body will go through especially hormonally, which can cause some discomfort. One of the most common symptoms you will experience is hot flashes, which can last for anywhere between 6 months to 10 years after the onset of menopause.

Learn How To Get Relief From Symptoms

Symptoms like hot flashes can be medically treated to help you get some relief. Similarly, other symptoms like mood swings or low mood and vaginal dryness can all be treated medically. For hot flashes and mood swings, doctors often prescribe very mild antidepressants to help you balance out the hormonal changes in your body. They can also be prescribed if you are having sleeping troubles. Similarly for vaginal dryness, doctors prescribe lubricants in different forms to make sex less painful.

Menopause & Hormones

When you slowly go through menopause, your body stops getting its estrogen supply from the ovaries. This doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need estrogen anymore. It creates a different source for it from your adrenal glands. Also, do note that the requirement of estrogen in your body reduces after you go through menopause. The adrenal glands produce androgens and aromatase, both of which help create the required estrogen supply for your body.

Effects of Menopause on Your Sex Life

When you are going through menopause, it can affect your libido as well as make sex painful due to symptoms like vaginal dryness. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you can visit a gynecologist to get a better understanding of your condition. Using lubricants can help make sex less painful and talking to your partner and relieving any stress you are experiencing can help you improve your libido again. It is important to note that these symptoms are temporary and can go away by themselves over time.

Effects of Menopause on Your Mental Health

Menopause can have profound effects on your mental health. From mood swings, to symptoms of depression, these changes are quite common in women going through menopause. Women also experience an increased level of stress during this period, which can affect their health negatively. All effects combined, women have difficulty staying focused or remembering things when they are going through menopause. This state is generally called brain fog. If you are experiencing such symptoms, you can talk to your doctors or even close ones to help relieve some stress. Aromatherapy and yoga can also work wonders in such situations.

Don’t Be Alarmed By Bodily Changes

Menopause can lead to sudden weight gain. It is important to talk to your doctor about this to properly understand the underlying cause. This is mainly because hypothyroidism, which is a disorder of the thyroid gland can also cause the same symptom. If you are experiencing irregular periods combined with weight gain, it can be a sign of both thyroid problems and menopause. The key here is to not be alarmed and speak to your doctors, in both cases, the weight you gain can be dropped easily with exercise and treatment.

Know That You Can Still Get Pregnant

A woman going through menopause can still get pregnant. This is mainly because of perimenopause, during which periods occur, but they can be infrequent or irregular. The risk of the pregnancy and the chances of going through a healthy full-term pregnancy diminish as you near your menopause, but the chances are still present. So, based on your wish to conceive or not to conceive, you should take appropriate measures for both if you are over the age of 30.

Navigate The Effects & Embrace The Changes Menopause Brings

The average life expectancy of women in India is 70 years. And the average age at which women go through menopause in India is between 41 and 49 years. So, menopause is not something you should be scared of, instead, it is just a change that takes you to the next phase of your life. A phase where you don’t have to go through regular menstrual cycles anymore. So, understanding the different changes that you go through helps you embrace the new normal for your life and enjoy it to the fullest.

Conclusion

These are the 10 menopause facts and information that are important for all women above 30 to know. If you are above 30 and experiencing any of the perimenopause symptoms as mentioned above, feel free to check out MASSH. We specialize in the treatment of all types of gynecological treatments and offer cutting edge minimally invasive treatment options for various gynecological conditions. To learn more about your menstrual health or to book an appointment, check out our website today.