There are plenty of scary and uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause, but it is important to know that each woman’s experience differs with regard to symptoms and severity.
The average age for women to reach menopause is 51.(1) However, this is not set-in stone age. Menopause is diagnosed one year after your final period and this transitioning phase from menstruation to menopause takes place over a few years, sometimes as long as 14 years. This duration depends on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age of onset, and the therapies available.(2, 3)During menopause the estrogen and progesterone levels start to gradually decrease and symptoms may start to develop almost four years before the last period. (4) Symptoms may include hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures, migraines, anger or irritability, anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, loss of concentration or memory lapses, loss of self-esteem or confidence, pain during sex and lower sex drive.(1, 2) The way that the body makes use of energy and stores fat also starts to change and women may start gaining weight or struggle to lose weight.(3) On the other hand, there are a few positives such as no periods or cramps and no more unplanned pregnancies.(2)
Menopause may also occur earlier in life due to a hysterectomy, treatments for certain conditions like endometriosis, breast cancer with antiestrogens and chemotherapy medications. At least 5% of women experience early menopause between the ages of 40 and 45 and 1% of women experience premature menopause before the age of 40.(1)
Treatment options for menopause help to minimize and alleviate menopausal symptoms, there are however a variety of treatment options that your medical practitioner may advise such as; hormonal treatment, selective estrogen receptor modulators, non-hormonal treatment, osteoporosis-specific treatment, and non-prescription remedies.(1)
A few at-home options that can also be considered are to stop smoking, get in enough sleep – a healthy amount for adults is between 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep, a balanced diet and avoid junk food, 150 min of moderate intensity training and aim for 2 to 3 days a week weight bearing training.(1)
It is always good to start implementing these natural and healthy routines even before you start presenting with menopausal symptoms and remember that menopause is a part of the many life phases women go through.
