What to expect in menopause: onset, symptoms and treatment
Menopause symptoms are some of the most disruptive women will experience. But, knowing what to expect will help you to be prepared. Maybe you’ve heard of common menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, weight fluctuations and vaginal health changes. These top the list of troublesome menopause symptoms. The onset of menopause, symptoms experienced and treatment options are just 3 areas to tweak your knowledge of this big life change and become armed with education.
Menopause: What it is, What is Isn’t
The actual medical definition of menopause is simple: the time in which a woman ceases to have her menstrual period. However, since lack of periods come about for different reasons, many women misinterpret the onset of menopause with something else. For example, drastic diet changes will affect menstrual periods and cause them to halt. Eating disorders such as anorexia often do the same. Medical treatments, too. It’s good to remember, the hallmark of menopause is no period for 12 months.
The Onset of Menopause
The average age a woman goes through menopause is in her 40s and 50s but here in the US the average age is 51 for natural menopause. Natural menopause is the natural occurrence of the ovaries slowing their production of estrogen, a critical hormone in women. With that, the menstrual period will naturally come to an end. Estrogen is widely known as the hormone needed for reproduction in women. However, it also regulates weight, body temperature, energy level, sleep, sex drive, brain health and more. Women need estrogen at varying levels throughout their lives, not just during the childbearing years. In addition, women may be thrown into early menopause by way of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, as well as other medical conditions or treatments that have a major impact on the bodily systems. These medical conditions and treatments cause early menopause, sometimes a decade or more earlier than the average age.
Symptoms of Menopause
While having fewer periods makes life more convenient the symptoms of menopause are what prompts most women to seek treatment. Symptom severity varies from woman to woman. But, the list of symptoms is pretty predictable.
Here are 7 of the Most Common Symptoms of Menopause
- Hot flashes
- Decreased sleep quality
- Unexplained weight gain
- Stubborn weight loss, despite rigorous efforts
- Changes in vaginal health: vaginal atrophy, dryness
- Mood changes: irritability, depression, lower sex drive, lack of energy
- Brain fog
How Will I Know?
Many women wonder if they are in the midst of menopause or the early stages, called perimenopause. Modern day life is very stressful and with menopausal-like symptoms they may chalk it up to stress or aging. Three factors to determine your menopause status are age, length of a lack of your menstrual cycle and consistency of symptoms. Remember, 12 months without a period is a tell-tale sign of menopause.
Treatments for Menopause
Even if the symptoms are subtle, there’s no need to suffer in silence. Hormone balance is crucial to your overall wellbeing and healthy aging. Other noninvasive treatments help with the sexual and vaginal changes you will experience.
BioTE® Hormone Pellets
Many women are looking for alternatives to traditional hormone replacement therapy due to increased cancer risk. Enter BioTE®, a bio-identical hormone replacement therapy sourced from plants and highly regulated for safety. BioTE® hormone pellets are inserted once every 3-4 months and contain the right balance of hormones you need based on your personalized lab profile.
diVa® and diVaTyte™
If your vaginal health is suffering due to menopause, consider diVa® and diVaTyte™, non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures that take 5-10 minutes and renew vaginal issues brought on by menopause such as lack of lubrication and vaginal atrophy.
Think you might be in menopause? Or, just want to become more educated for when you are? Give Inner Beauty a call today to book your personal consultation. Menopause is natural, but you don’t have to suffer.