Menopause is known as the stage when a woman's periods stop. The drop in estrogen and other hormones at this stage can cause many annoying symptoms, from vaginal dryness and mood swings to some serious complications.
The average age for menopause is 51, but it can normally range from 40 to 54 years old.
Although every woman experiences this stage differently, there are some common menopause symptoms among women, In this article, we'll look at these symptoms and the complications of menopause.
Common symptoms of menopause
Many women go through menopause with mild symptoms, while others find it a bit more bothersome. Here are some common symptoms many women share, They include:-
1. Menstrual cycle disorders
Often, the first sign of menopause is a change in your menstrual cycle. The periods can be longer, shorter, or a mix of both.
2. Hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia
Hot flashes affect about 75% of women during menopause. They feel like sudden heat, usually in the upper body, face, neck, and chest, often with sweating.
When hot flashes happen during sleep, they cause night sweats. This sweating can disrupt your sleep and cause insomnia, which may affect your overall health and wellbeing.
3. Vaginal dryness and urinary problems
Because of lower levels of the hormone estrogenThe walls of the bladder, urethra, and vagina get drier and less flexible. This makes the tissues more likely to get damaged or infected. Some symptoms start to show up, including:
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Pain or bleeding during sex.
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Burning and dryness in the vagina.
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More frequent bladder infections.
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Burning or urgency when peeing.
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Watery vaginal discharge.
4. Mood Swings
Most women during menopause may find themselves more emotional and easily triggered into strong reactions like sadness, anger, irritation, and joy due to lower estrogen andprogesterone.
Besides that, women might suddenly feel unpredictable, which can be worrying, and sometimes they want to seek help from specialists.
5. Headache Attacks
Both migraine and tension headaches can increase during menopause because of instability in the body's blood vessels. Since migraine is vascular, the attacks might get worse, happen more often, and become harder to control.
6. Weight Gain
As women get older, their metabolism slows down metabolic processes and muscle mass decreases, so gaining weight is common during menopause. The slow metabolism combined with fat deposition and muscle loss causes women to have a bigger belly andsaggier arms.
7. Breast pain
Hormonal changes during menopause cause fluid buildup in the breast, making it more swollen and painful. Also, the breast size can get bigger, smaller, or change shape.
8. Memory loss and cognitive changes
Cognitive changes are one of the most troubling menopause symptoms. Losing some memory is normal with age, especially recalling words and short-term memory.
But if these cognitive changes or memory loss affect daily activities or last a long time, it's good to talk to a specialist for proper advice.
9. Fatigue
Some women feel really tired during menopause, but usually this tiredness is temporary and gradual as the body adjusts to lower estrogen.
If the tiredness stops women from doing daily tasks, they should see a specialist to rule out other more serious causes.
10. Decreased sexual desire
Some women may notice their sex drive drops during menopause. Sometimes this is a short-term reaction to hormone changes. It can also happen because of stress or tough life situations.
Rare symptoms of menopause
Besides the common menopause symptoms most women have, some women report other symptoms too. These are rare but can happen., and include:
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Low blood pressure.
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Feeling dizzy.
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Hair loss.
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Ringing in the ears.
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A burning sensation in the mouth.
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Joint and muscle pain.
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Change in mouth odor or bad taste in the mouth.
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Indigestion.
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Strange dreams.
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Change in body odor.
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Tingling, numbness, and itching.
If you have any of these symptoms you should see a healthcare provider to check if they are due to menopause or a more serious condition.
Early or induced menopause
There are also cases of women who experience menopause early or sudden menopause due to surgery or injury.
Early menopause happens if a woman enters menopause before age 40. This is unusual and often linked to autoimmune disorders.
Induced menopause happens when a woman experiences injury or removal of ovaries, causing sudden menopause. This usually leads to more severe menopause symptoms.
Menopause complications
Although menopause is a normal healthy process for every woman, it can cause some complications that may seriously affect health, These complications include:-
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Heavy bleeding
Some women might find their periods get heavier or more irregular. Heavy bleeding could mean a problem, like fibroids, uterine polyps, or uterine cancer. Also, heavy bleeding can cause anemia, so it's important to see a specialist.
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Heart and Vascular Diseases
After menopause, women's risk of heart and vascular diseases goes up. High blood pressure might be the first sign that the heart system is starting to fail. It can be linked to menopause because when estrogen drops, blood vessels can get less flexible. This raises blood pressure and the risk of stroke.
Also, occasional heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats can be normal during menopause. But if they happen often, or come with trouble breathing, fainting, chest pain, or nausea, they could be signs of heart disease or a heart attack.
Women will need to manage heart and vascular diseases by making sure they get enough exercise, andmaintaining a healthy weight, and eating a heart-healthy diet.
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osteoporosis
Menopause causes rapid bone loss, especially in the first few years, which may lead most women to getosteoporosis, and become more prone to fractures, so it's important to take medicines and supplements as the doctor advises.
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Depression
Hormonal changes during menopause can lead to depression, especially for women with a family history of depression or those who never had it before. Hormonal changes and the resulting physiological shifts and stress in menopause can cause mood swings and nervousness that might disrupt life and cause depression.
In the end, women need time to adjust to their changing bodies during menopause and understand what’s happening. They should be patient and do their best to take care of themselves with exercise, eating healthy, managing stress and anxiety, and making sure they get all preventive medical check-ups.
