The Things They Didn’t Tell You About Menopause

When you’ve had your period for several decades, most would be relieved to know there is a point in time where it comes to an end.

When you’ve had your period for several decades, most would be relieved to know there is a point in time where it comes to an end. When you no longer have a menstrual cycle, the PMS symptoms stop, you no longer need to waste money on female products, and you get to enjoy every day of the month by wearing whatever you want. When you haven’t had a period for 12 months, you start to enter menopause. While not having a period is nice, many symptoms come with it. We’ve gathered a few menopause symptom tips to help you combat it. But first, what is menopause?

What Is Menopause?

Menopause refers to the end of a woman’s natural menstrual cycle. When our bodies begin to age, they produce less estrogen which results in non-existent or irregular menstruation. Menopause will happen naturally, but some women can force menopause by having their uterus or ovaries removed surgically. For those to want to enjoy natural menopause, you can expect it to happen anywhere between 35 and 60.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

The symptoms of menopause vary from woman to woman. Some experience a light shift in their regular bodily functions and some may encounter an uncomfortable change in life. Here are some of the most common symptoms of menopause:

Palpitations
Depression
Night Sweats
Mood swings
Light or irregular menstrual cycles
Dryness of the vagina
Increased bladder infections
Irregular sleep patterns

Now that we’ve covered the basics of menopause, let’s jump into a few menopause symptom tips to get you through this new phase in life:

You may still need a contraceptive

Because you’re no longer having menstrual cycles, most will think there’s no way a pregnancy can happen. Unfortunately, this is false. It’s true that your fertility declines once you’ve started menopause since the birth cycle is obsolete, but it is possible you can get pregnant. The possibility of pregnancy between 45-49 is estimated to between 2-3%. After 50, it’s almost impossible to get pregnant at 1%, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Contraceptives can also help protect yourself from STIs which menopause cannot protect you from.

HRT is an option

Hormone replacement therapy is used to treat those who are missing specific hormones in the body to function normally. In regards to menopause, HRT is used to replace estrogen that is no longer produced by women, causing them to no longer have a menstrual cycle. Most people are familiar with oral tables, but several different types of HRT can suite alternative lifestyles differently. Estrogen replacement can come in the form of tables, gels, and patches. There are also hormone-secreting intrauterine systems such as Mirena that are placed inside the body and forgotten. Lastly, HRT is available in a cream, but most have proved it is not as effective as other methods. Deciding which HRT suites your lifestyle is vital in handling menopause.

In all, menopause isn’t the most pleasurable experience and we a Fox Medical Centers understand. The symptoms are extreme compared to what most experience during menstrual cycles, and we’re here to help you through your transition. For more questions about HRT or if you’re in need of Menopause Symptom Tips, feel free to give us a call.