Beyond Hot Flashes: Understanding The Phases of Menopause

For any woman, one of the most challenging times is the pre-menopause and the time of the menopause itself. There are too many changes, and sometimes, it becomes difficult for the body to respond and process them. It is anticipated that more than 85% of women face symptoms that are much more than just hot flashes or mood swings.

The worst part is that not only women don’t understand what they are going through, but at the same time, they find it exceedingly difficult to focus on the management of the symptoms as well. Going through the phases in detail and understanding the signs better allows one to manage the signs better.

There are experts like Dr. Karen Pike at SimplyMenopause.net who have spoken about how the woman’s body reacts in response to menopause.

Understanding The Meaning of Menopause

Let’s go by the definition brought in by the National Institute of Aging. Menopause usually begins in a woman’s life a year after their regular menstrual cycles have stopped. The physiological reason behind menopause can be stated as the reduction in the production of estrogen and progesterone, which in turn leads to a cease in the regular menstrual cycle.

Once the menstrual cycle stops, women face a lot of physiological struggles where hot flashes are indeed a very important occurrence.

Phases of Menopause

If you are a woman who has faced menopause, then you would know that this usually does not occur miraculously in one single day. There are usually phases that lead up to menopause, and there are post-menopause symptoms that need to be managed as well.

The phases of menopause can be roughly divided into:

• Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the beginning of menopause. It starts when women enter their 40s and is most often characterized by symptoms like irregular period cycles, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and physical pain.

One of the major reasons why perimenopause starts is because of the hormonal activities and how your body responds to them. It is seen that during the perimenopause years, women may also experience extreme vaginal dryness as well as changes in the sex desire or libido.

Menopause is also a time when women experience less fertility, and the chances of getting pregnant are close to zero. The signs of perimenopause can be dealt with very easily with the help of simple symptoms like changes in diet, exercise, management of stress, and similar others.

Thus, we can say that perimenopause is the first step to menopause.

• Menopause

This is the most crucial stage and usually occurs when a woman has gone for 12 months without any menstrual cycle. Usually, for most women, this occurs after the age of 50.

The classic signs of menopause, like vaginal dryness as well as hot flashes, are persistent, but they tend to lose their intensity. Once a woman reaches menopause, they are naturally unable to conceive anymore.

As the blood from the body is not getting released, it is possible that this can have a big impact on health. Usually, it is after menopause time that most women start developing cardiac diseases.

If the symptoms seem to be too disturbing, then you can opt for hormone replacement therapy, commonly known as HRT. This is a common therapy for those who want to manage the side-effects like osteoporosis or even heart disease to a certain extent. If you want to take up this particular therapy, you must take precautions and get it affirmed by your healthcare guide.

• Post Menopause

This is the phase that is characterized after a woman has gone through menopause. Usually, the postmenopausal phase begins for women between 50 and 60. This is the phase when women do not face the typical menopause symptoms like hot flashes or mood swings much.

However, they end up developing major health complications, out of which heart disease is the most common one. The lower levels of estrogen are a major reason for this. Low levels of estrogen are also responsible for osteoporosis as well as cognitive decline in women.

You can easily manage this phase if you are vigilant and care for your health. The first thing that you need to do is ensure that you go for regular bone screenings and overall body checkups. Start with habits that are healthy for your heart. This includes eating a balanced meal, exercising regularly, avoiding deep-fried items, and monitoring blood pressure activity.

It is best to go for health screenings at least twice every year.

More than The 3 Traditional Phases – Induced Menopause

The three phases of menopause that we have mentioned are in the traditional format and usually occur in the timeline we have mentioned. But menopause can sometimes be unnatural and induced as well.

Usually, menopause is induced due to some medical emergency or as a treatment. It is often due to hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus, or oophorectomy, which is the removal of ovaries that can lead to induced menopause. A very common reason why these two procedures are carried out is as a response to ovarian cancer or even fibrosis.

The repercussions of induced menopause can be quite far-reaching, and the major reason behind this is that this kind of menopause is not natural. Not only does it have severe physical symptoms, but sometimes the emotional signs can also be profound and can lead to depression as well.

The best way to deal with induced menopause is with the help of hormone replacement therapy. Even counseling could be a great way to deal with the impact of menopause and ensure that women have mental support.

Taking Care of Mental  Health During and After Menopause

Once you enter the menopausal years, the body’s processes change. Moreover, it also impacts your emotional well-being. There are many things that women can do to boost their overall mental health.

Some of these are:

● Yoga: 

Yoga is something that can prove to be extremely useful, and it makes women positive. Not only that, but yoga aligns your chakras, which also take care of bodily regulations.

● Balanced Diet: 

The body is at risk, and hence, it needs good food that can help replenish it. It is a very important reason women are always suggested to have a balanced diet that includes a lot of fiber and protein. Bone health tends to deteriorate during this time; hence, a balanced diet can be a game changer.

● Lifestyle Choices: 

Finally, it is also extremely important to make sure that you make the right lifestyle choices. Limit your alcohol intake and smoking habits.

Conclusion

As a woman, it is very important that you start venturing “about me” and how your body responds to different stimuli. Menopause is truly a very difficult time, but it is much more than just facing hot flashes or going through mood swings.

If you notice that your body is not responding to the natural remedies, then you need to try out hormone replacement therapy. However, your doctor will always be the best person to guide you in this case.