Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life when her periods stop permanently and she can no longer get pregnant naturally. The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. During this transition, women may experience symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and irregular periods as the body produces less estrogen and progesterone.
After menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels remain low. Women will not menstruate anymore or release eggs to be fertilized. Some women may feel relieved not to deal with periods anymore. Other women find menopause challenging because of troublesome symptoms. There's no straightforward "back to normal" after menopause because a woman's body experiences permanent changes.
Effects of Menopause
Some effects women may notice after menopause include:
- Hot flashes - Sudden feelings of intense body heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat. For most women, these stop within 5 years.
- Vaginal and urinary changes - Decreased estrogen can cause vaginal dryness, pain with sex, increased urinary tract infections, and urinary incontinence. These can often be treated.
- Emotional changes - Increased stress, anxiety, sadness, irritability around the time of menopause. These often improve with lifestyle changes.
- Sleep trouble - Difficulty falling and staying asleep due to night sweats or changing hormones. Practicing good sleep habits helps.
- Bone loss - Estrogen helps maintain bone density. After menopause, bone loss accelerates increasing osteoporosis risk later in life. Weight-bearing exercise, calcium and vitamin D can help slow bone loss.
- Changing cholesterol - Losing estrogen may lead to higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels. Managing cholesterol with diet and exercise prevents cardiovascular disease.
- Weight gain - Lower estrogen after menopause makes it easier to gain abdominal fat even with no change in diet or exercise. Focusing on a heart-healthy diet and activity helps manage weight.
Managing Symptoms
The duration and severity of menopausal symptoms varies widely between women. Here are some ways women manage the changes:
- Stay active with cardio and strength training 4-5 times a week to help mood, sleep, bone health, weight, and heart health.
- Consider supplements like black cohosh or flaxseed for hot flashes. Vitamin D and calcium support bone health.
- Vaginal estrogen creams or moisturizers help painful sex from vaginal dryness. Stay sexually active to increase blood flow.
- Use lubricants or low-dose estrogen creams for comfortable sex if vaginal dryness persists.
- Practice good sleep habits like limiting caffeine, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, using white noise, and going to bed at the same time.
- Use stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, counseling, or support groups to ease emotional changes.
- Consume a nutrient-rich, phytoestrogen-rich diet with plenty of produce, fiber and plant protein to manage weight and health. Limit processed carbs and sugars.
- Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke that can trigger hot flashes and increase osteoporosis risk.
- See your healthcare provider for regular checkups, reporting of symptoms, bone density scans and advice on managing heart health, sexual health, cancer screening through menopause.
At Hormone Wellness Center, our experts provide personalized care to help women smoothly transition through perimenopause and menopause. With customized hormone therapy including estrogen, testosterone and more, we can effectively treat troublesome symptoms for an improved quality of life after menopause. Contact us today for your consultation!
While "going back to normal" isn't possible after menopause, women can manage symptoms and stay healthy with regular exercise, a balanced diet, stress and symptom management, hormone therapy if needed, and preventative healthcare screenings. With time to adjust and appropriate treatment, most women can feel well and enjoy life after menopause by finding their "new normal".