Are You In Menopause? – Here Are 7 Signs To Watch Out For
Every woman will experience menopause at some point in their life. Menopause is a natural progression that results in numerous body changes. During her childbearing years, the woman’s body generates progesterone and estrogen from the ovaries, which supports reproductive health. However, as women age and near Womens Healthcare Physicians menopause, their hormone levels start to fluctuate and decline. Although menopause is identified as one point in time, your ovaries do not cease generating estrogen and progesterone instantly. Menopause is a slow process that could last several years. If you suspect you are in menopause, here are some common signs to watch out for.
1. Menstrual Irregularities
Often, the very first sign of impending menopause is the shift in your menstrual cycles. You might begin experiencing longer or shorter intervals between periods, or you may sometimes miss your menses. If you miss your periods for 12 consecutive months, you are in menopause.
2. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
A hot flash is a “flush” sensation or a drastic feeling of heat, frequently associated with sweating. A huge percentage of women report experiencing hot flashes during menopause.
If you experience a hot flash while sleeping, it is known as a night sweat. Night sweats could be disruptive to your sleep, which can affect your general health and well-being.
3. Vaginal Dryness and Urinary Issues
Menopause causes reduced estrogen production, which makes the walls of the urethra, bladder, and vaginal dry up and loses flexibility. As such, the tissues are more vulnerable to harm and infections. Some issues resulting from lost elasticity include discomfort or bleeding during sexual intercourse, vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, and urgency or burning with urination.
4. Mood Swings
As progesterone and estrogen decline, some women become overly emotional. Most women claim to be easily triggered into robust emotional reactions like anger, irritability, delight, or sadness. These mood swings are often unpredictable; thus, it is necessary to seek prompt care.
5. Fatigue
Some women suffer intense fatigue throughout menopause. Luckily, this fatigue is often momentary, resulting from your body’s adjustment to reduced estrogen levels. However, if fatigue keeps you from performing your everyday activities or becomes chronic, consult a specialist to rule out other potential causes.
6. Reduced Libido
Most women realize that their sexual urge declines once they enter menopause. Occasionally, reduced libido is a momentary reaction to hormone changes, but it could also be a response to other factors like everyday stressors. If you identify a decline in your sexual desire, and this causes strains in your intimate relationship, consult your provider.
7. Headaches
Both tension headaches and migraines might ramp up throughout menopause. Most migraine headaches result from vascular-related issues. Since the vascular system becomes more unstable throughout mesopause, migraines could become more frequent or harder to control.
If you suspect you might be having menopausal symptoms consult your specialist. Although most women experience short-term, mild concerns, many others find their symptoms disruptive to their daily activities, which greatly affects their life quality. Fortunately, numerous therapies could help you get past this life phase. Your physician may recommend lifestyle adjustments, antidepressants, or hormone therapy to manage your concerns. Besides, some medications are effective in addressing hot flashes and night sweats, as well as measures to boost your libido.