Don’t Be in the Dark: Navigate Menopause with Confidence

Women experience multiple signs and symptoms of menopause after an age. Each woman will have different combinations of symptoms and also, they may vary in intensity and duration and impact on her health. The degree and type of symptoms also vary across the world depending on race and ethnicity. Menopause is something that women must ultimately accept as inevitable. They must be mentally well-prepared for this very natural phenomenon in their lives. In this blog, Dr. Shraddha Galgali Explains some common symptoms or signs of menopause you need to know about. Before starting, let’s try to understand what menopause means.

Menopause is a period in every woman’s life when she stops having her menstrual cycles due to the incapability of the ovaries to release eggs. This generally happens when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. It is a biological process that is accompanied by a wide range of symptoms that may be experienced for years. Sometimes, it becomes important to seek medical intervention to make sure these symptoms do not interfere with the quality of your life. A lot of effective treatment options are available nowadays, that can help manage these symptoms to ensure that you smoothly sail through this stage of your life.

Dr. Shradddha Galgali is the Best Gynecologist in Wakad. She explains menopause and the stages of menopause.

There are three stages of menopause:

• Perimenopause is defined as the years leading up to menopause when a woman begins to experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, or bladder leaks.
• A woman has officially reached menopause when she has gone 12 months without a period.
• Post Menopause. After a woman has reached menopause, her body is still adjusting to changes, although many of her original menopause symptoms should begin to ease over time.

Some women experience early menopause, which is when they start exhibiting menopause symptoms before the age of 40. This may be genetic (many women tend to start menopause around the same time as your mom or grandmother did), or it could be due to other health conditions or medical treatments, such as undergoing chemotherapy or a hysterectomy.

• Periods: The ovary is gradually depleted of the follicles. Therefore, the periods become irregular. They may become gradually less in duration, frequency, and quantity. But for some, they are frequently erratic and heavy causing anemia.
• Hot Flashes: Hot flashes are one of the most common and well-known symptoms of menopause. They are characterized by sudden, intense sensations of heat, often accompanied by sweating and a flushed face. Hot flashes can vary in frequency and intensity and may last several years during the menopausal transition.
• Sleep Disturbance: Some women have difficulty falling asleep, or they wake up early or they may have disturbed on-off sleep. Hot flashes may also contribute to disturbed sleep.
• Mood Swings: Some women feel irritable, and depressed and may have crying spells. They may have low self-esteem and feel the loss of feminity. These symptoms may be due to a lack of estrogen circumstantial (social factors) or multiple factors playing a role together.
• Vaginal Dryness: The vagina becomes very dry due to a lack of estrogen. This can lead to severe pain during sex. Women then tend to avoid sex.
• Sex: Menopause may affect an interest in sex. Some women feel free from the stress of getting pregnant and are therefore able to enjoy sex, whereas some have a loss of interest in sex. For some, the vaginal dryness becomes a very important limiting factor in enjoying sex.
• Urinary Issues: Some women have multiple urinary symptoms like frequency, urgency, difficulty in holding the urine, and leaking of urine while coughing, sneezing, bending, or during activities that increase intra-abdominal pressures.
• Weight Gain: Many women notice changes in their weight and body composition during menopause. A decrease in metabolism and hormonal shifts can lead to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.
• Bone Health: The decline in estrogen levels during menopause can also decrease bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Menopausal women must discuss bone health with their doctor and consider bone density testing and appropriate preventive measures.
• Skin and Hair Changes: Menopausal women may notice changes in their skin, such as dryness and thinning, as well as changes in hair texture and thickness.
• Night Sweats: Night sweats are episodes of excessive sweating that occur during sleep and are often linked to hot flashes. They can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to fatigue and mood disturbances.

Menopause indicates the end of a woman’s reproductive ability. As hormonal levels decline, ovulation ceases, making natural conception impossible. Women need to understand this transition and consider family planning options accordingly.

If you doubt your chances of menopause, your gynecologist may suggest a blood test that will give them an idea of the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) in your system. You may be advised to make lifestyle changes or even hormonal therapy. Only the Female Gynecologist in Punawale, Pune can help you with the most apt treatments. If you wish to know more about menopause and how you can manage the symptoms associated with it, consult the Infertility Treatment in Punawale, Pune at Dr. Shraddha’s EXCELLA Woman’s Wellness Clinic.