Menopause can have a huge effect on middle-aged women and some of these effects can spill over into other areas of their lives without even knowing. In this post, we will take a look at some of the symptoms of menopause and how you can manage them to live a happy and healthy life.
Before we start it’s important to know that menopause affects everyone differently and you may not be affected by some of these symptoms and may have other ones. It’s also important to make note that if you have any health concerns to consult your doctor before making any changes in regards to diet, exercise or supplementation.
Also, menopause can put a strain on your mental well being and if you find yourself anxious or depressed you should seek medical advice right away.
With all of the above-said, let’s take a look at some of the symptoms that affect women going through menopause.
Mood changes
One of the major changes, when a woman goes through menopause, is her change in mood. This is caused by your hormones being out of control. Menopause affects women in different ways and some may become anxious while others may be more irritable.
Your mood changes can affect the people around you too and often this is something that you don’t see until it’s late in the process. Treatment for mood changes would include breathing exercises and de stressing exercises such as Yoga.
For the very worst of cases, prescription medicine can be taken but you should try more natural methods first as these medicines can take weeks to work and can have some side effects too.
Body odors
Menopause can cause your body to start to smell strange under your arms and also your vagina. Some women going through menopause have reported that they smell like onions under their arms and their vagina.
This isn’t uncommon as your hormones once again are to blame, who would have thought they would be responsible for so many of the functions in your body.
To treat your body and improve its smells you are going to need to make some lifestyle changes such as improving your diet and learning to stress less as stress can lead to an increase in sweat being produced.
From a dieting perspective, you will need to eat food rich in zinc and magnesium while cutting out red meats and coffee. Sorry coffee lovers, caffeine has toxins that can add to your body odors.
Foods high in Zinc and Magnesium include:
- Shellfish
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Dairy Products
- Eggs
- Wholegrains
Once you have changed your diet you can then use other treatments such as wearing breathable clothing, bathing more, and using a strong antiperspirant along with deodorant.
Metallic taste in the mouth
A metallic taste in your mouth can be a very uncommon side effect of menopause but it can happen, once again it’s caused by hormonal imbalances in your body. Lower estrogen levels are often to blame and you may also notice that your lips and gums can burn too.
Taking a Zinc supplement can help with a metallic taste in your mouth but please consult your doctor before taking any supplements or medication as people can act differently to them both.
Reduced Libido
A common symptom of menopause is a lack of sex drive and there are many reasons for this. Some women report vaginal dryness which can make intercourse painful while stress caused by anxiety and depression can also have a knock-on effect on your sex drive.
Having a reduced libido can cause strain in your relationship so if you are going through this it’s important to talk to your partner or even show them this article so they can understand what you are going through. Communicating with your partner is going to help them understand what’s happening with your body and as a result, they aren’t going to feel like you are ignoring them or have gone off them in a sexual way.
Men and women will have lower sex drives in their lives due to the lack of estrogen and testosterone in their bodies. If you are concerned about your lack of libido you should consult with a healthcare professional where they can advise treatment.
Managing Menopause
Menopause can make your life a living hell constantly sweating, being anxious, and causing relationship problems just because your hormones have changed. But thankfully living a healthier lifestyle can help you have a better quality of life.
Your diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices can play a huge role in managing menopause, and for this reason, you should track your symptoms to see when they are at their worst to see if there is anything that is causing you to have hot flashes or smell worse than usual. Many women find tracking their symptoms through an app much easier than using paper or writing their symptoms down in a notepad.
Final Word
The tips above will help you manage menopause to live a happy and healthy lifestyle but if you do find yourself struggling with your symptoms please consult with a healthcare professional as hormonal imbalances can be difficult to manage alone.
