What is Menopause?
Menopause refers to the time when the menstrual cycle in women stops. It is marked by a decline in the reproductive hormones in a woman aged between 40-50 years.
When a woman goes without menstruating for twelve months at a stretch and cannot be pregnant naturally any more, then that period of time is marked as menopause. This phase particularly starts at the age of 45 to 55 but in many instances, it has been seen that menopause occurred after this age range. Women experience uncomfortable symptoms while going through menopause. However, most women do not need any medical treatment for menopause. It is a natural physiological phenomenon with changes in hormonal activities.
Why Does Menopause Occur?
In women, eggs are released from their ovaries during their reproductive years. Female sex hormones namely oestrogen and progesterone are released from the ovaries. This hormonal secretion is the regulatory factor of menstruation and the release of egg or ovulation. In menopause, the ovaries stop releasing an egg a month and the menstruation comes to an end too.
In lower levels of several hormones like testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone along with oestrogen and progesterone, the female physiology goes through several changes. Such change is marked by loss of active ovarian follicles. The ovarian follicles help in releasing the egg from the wall of the ovary. Release of an egg makes way for fertility and menstruation. In the absence of that, menstruation does not occur leading to menopause.
Thus, as a part of ageing, menopause occurs in women after a certain age. By the age of 50, most women have reached menopause. In some specific cases, menopause can be induced too.
How Can Menopause be Induced?
Due to some disorder if women have to get their ovaries removed surgically menopause is induced in them. Injury to ovaries leading to stoppage of hormone secretion or any change in the pelvic structure can because of the induced menopause. Surgical removal of ovaries is known as bilateral oophorectomy and is a common cause of induced menopause in most women.
Among other reasons, ovarian ablation is another one. This means stopping ovarian function. If a woman develops oestrogen receptor-positive tumours, she has to undergo hormone therapy, radiotherapy or surgery. These cause the ovarian function to shut down. Pelvic radiation also induces menopause. Any severe injury leading to ovarian damage or destroys them, then it leads to menopause. Hysterectomy, a common surgical procedure of removing the uterus and ovary, causes menopause to induce.
If menopause occurs in women before the age of 40, it is referred to as premature menopause.
What are Perimenopause and Postmenopause?
Prior to the onset of menopause, the menstrual periods in women become irregular. This phase is known as perimenopause. In this phase, the production of oestrogen is lowered by the ovaries. During this time, the periods might be late or one may skip one or more periods. The menstrual flow becomes lighter or heavier in women. This stage lasts up to menopause when the release of eggs is completely stopped. This starts several years before the actual menopause and in the last couple of years, oestrogen levels undergo rapid fall. Following this, comes menopause when for a full year, menstruation remains stopped. Postmenopause refers to the time after menopause has occurred. The typical symptoms of menopause generally go away in this stage. But as the oestrogen level is lowered or lost, health hazards may occur as the woman ages.
What are the Symptoms of Menopause?
Though there are some common symptoms of menopause, women have reported varied experiences and it is said that the symptoms vary a lot from one woman to others. Before menopause sets in, symptoms of perimenopause infest themselves. A hot flash is the most commonly experienced symptom. In this, women experience sudden warm feelings spread across their upper body. These episodes of hot flashes are often accompanied by blushing and vigorous sweating. The first symptoms of menopause may also include:
Irregular periods
Missed periods
A feeling of dryness in the vagina
Soreness in breasts
A feeling of frequent urination
Trouble in sleeping
Emotional changes
Dryness in eye, mouth and skin
Now as menopause sets in and moves on to later stages, more symptoms tend to develop in women. The later symptoms of menopause include:
Fatigue
Headaches
Depression
Tachycardia or racing heartbeats
Irritability
Pain in muscle and joints
Hair loss
Weight gain
However, the symptoms do not end with this list only. There are some other symptoms also that women very commonly experience. These are:
Sleeplessness or insomnia
Difficulty in concentrating
Problem in memorising
Infection in the urinary tract or UTIs
Reduced muscle mass
Feeling of stiffness in joints
Thinning of hair
Increased growth of hair on other parts of the body such as the neck, face, chest, the upper portion of the back etc.
What are the Complications of Menopause?
Menopause alters the hormonal secretion and the release of eggs. Thus it brings forth a number of complications in women. These include:
Vulvovaginal Atrophy
Here the walls of the vagina get thinner as the oestrogen level is reduced. Vaginal infection or urinary infection is common in this condition. Females feel pain or burning sensation after urination.
Dyspareunia
This refers to painful intercourse sessions in women.
Osteoporosis
Due to lack of oestrogen, bone mass and bone strength also become reduced to a great extent and the bones, especially those of knee joint, becomes porous and weak. Bones become more susceptible to breakage.
Mood Swing
Women going through menopause experience sudden changes in moods and emotion. Thus emotional disturbance occurs in this period of time.
Slower Metabolic Function
The metabolic rates are decreased in women.
Cataracts
Menopause often brings with it the problem of cataract leading to blurry vision and trouble in seeing especially at night.
Periodontal Disease
This refers to serious gum infection. It gives rise to gingivitis or inflammation in gums too. While brushing bleeding from the gum occurs. Plaques may also form on teeth.
Urinary Incontinence
Women experiencing menopause fail to have voluntary control over the urge of urinating.
The Disease of Heart and Blood Vessels
The hormonal changes in menopause give rise to cardiac problems and other diseases of blood vessels.
Macular Degeneration
The central point of the retina that is the centre of vision gets broken down causing macular degeneration. This again leads to poor eyesight.
Menopause is a physiological incidence that every woman goes through earlier or later in their lives. The women of the age group 45 to 55 are most susceptible to develop menopausal symptoms. The mood swings and emotional disturbances are quite common which are only results of hormonal changes. Women must take care of their health during this time and seek help from others in case the need arises.
FAQs on Symptoms of Menopause
1. What is menopause and when does this natural process typically occur?
Menopause is a natural biological process marking the permanent cessation of menstruation, signifying the end of a woman's reproductive years. It is officially diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. This transition typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51 years. However, the onset can vary, with some women experiencing signs of menopause as early as 40 or as late as 60.
2. What are the common physiological symptoms experienced during menopause?
During menopause, women experience a range of physiological symptoms primarily due to declining hormone levels, especially estrogen. Common symptoms include:
- Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Sudden feelings of intense heat, often accompanied by sweating, especially at night.
- Vaginal Dryness: Thinning and drying of the vaginal tissues, leading to discomfort and painful intercourse.
- Sleep Disturbances: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, often exacerbated by night sweats.
- Bone Density Loss: Increased risk of osteoporosis due to reduced estrogen, which plays a role in bone maintenance.
- Changes in Menstrual Cycle: Irregular periods become common before cessation, with varying flow and duration.
- Urinary Symptoms: Increased frequency of urination or urgency.
3. How does menopause differ from menarche and menstruation?
Menopause, menarche, and menstruation represent distinct phases of a female's reproductive life. Menarche is the term for a girl's first menstrual period, signaling the onset of puberty and fertility. It marks the beginning of regular menstrual cycles. Menstruation (or periods) is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining, occurring approximately every 28-35 days throughout a woman's reproductive years, facilitated by hormonal cycles. In contrast, menopause signifies the permanent cessation of menstruation, marking the end of the reproductive phase. While menarche and menstruation are active processes of fertility and monthly cycles, menopause is the biological end of these cycles due to ovarian aging and hormonal decline.
4. How can the symptoms of menopause be effectively managed?
Managing menopause symptoms often involves a combination of lifestyle adjustments and medical interventions, depending on the severity. While menopause is not a disease, its symptoms can be bothersome. Management strategies include:
- Lifestyle Modifications: Dressing in layers, keeping cool, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and practicing stress-reduction techniques like yoga or meditation. Avoiding triggers like spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol can also help.
- Dietary Adjustments: A balanced diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D supports bone health. Supplements for these nutrients and magnesium may be recommended to support overall well-being and reduce sleep disturbances.
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): For severe symptoms, a medical practitioner might prescribe HRT to replace declining estrogen, which can effectively alleviate hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
- Non-Hormonal Medications: Certain antidepressants or other medications can help manage specific symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings for those who cannot or choose not to use HRT.
- Counselling and Support: Seeking professional counseling or joining support groups can help manage the emotional and psychological aspects like depression and anxiety.
Consulting a healthcare provider is essential to determine the most appropriate management plan for individual needs.
5. What hormonal changes primarily cause the symptoms of menopause?
The primary cause of menopausal symptoms is the significant decline in the production of estrogen and progesterone hormones by the ovaries. As a woman ages, her ovaries gradually reduce their function, leading to fewer and eventually no eggs being released. This reduction in ovarian activity directly results in lower levels of these crucial reproductive hormones. Estrogen, in particular, affects many body systems, including temperature regulation, bone density, vaginal health, and mood, leading to the diverse range of symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition.
6. What indicates that the menopausal transition has concluded?
The menopausal transition is considered complete, and a woman is officially in postmenopause, after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. This period of amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) confirms that the ovaries have permanently ceased their reproductive function and hormone production has significantly diminished. While some post-menopausal symptoms may persist for years, the end of the transition signifies that the major hormonal fluctuations have largely stabilized, and the body has adapted to a new hormonal state.
7. Do the effects of menopause subside completely after the transition period?
While the most intense and fluctuating symptoms of menopause, such as severe hot flashes and mood swings, often lessen or resolve in the postmenopausal phase, some effects may persist or even emerge. Vaginal dryness and related discomfort due to continued low estrogen levels can be long-lasting. The increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular issues also remains, necessitating ongoing attention to bone health and heart health. However, many women report an improved sense of well-being and relief from the intense hormonal fluctuations once they are firmly in postmenopause.
