Health > Understanding Menopause Change - A menstrual period for women. What to know?

Menopause is that natural biological process that marks the closure of the reproductive years of a woman's life. It generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, though it may occur earlier or later in some women.

The awareness related to menopause symptoms, impacts, and their management strategies needs to be augmented among women, their families, and health care providers.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is when a woman does not have a menstrual period for 12 successive months. Menopause is the decline of the production of the hormones from the ovaries, mainly estrogen and progesterone.

These hormonal changes can lead to the modification in physical and mental health, and so menopause can be a significant transitional change that women may experience.

Symptoms of Menopause

For many women, the symptoms of menopause may be different. For some women, the symptoms will be very mild, while for other women, the symptoms may be debilitating. Common symptoms include:

Hot Flashes: A sudden feeling of heat that can cause one to be sweating and uncomfortable-these hot flashes make it difficult to sleep.

Night Sweats: These are terrible feelings of hot flashes at night, hence interfering with sleeping patterns.

Mood Changes: Due to changing levels of hormones, one gets irritated, anxious, or even depressed easily.

Vaginal Dryness: Low levels of estrogen are associated with vaginal dryness, painful sex, and a higher risk of Urinary Tract Infections.

Irregular Menstrual Cycle: Variations in menstrual flow are the most prevalent symptom during a woman's perimenopausal period. This is the time before menopause. Knowing how to take care of menopause is one factor that will keep women healthy.

Importance of Awareness about Menopause

The reasons why awareness about menopause is essential include:

Empowerment through Knowledge: Knowledge helps women understand the changes occurring in the body during menopause and manages symptoms accordingly. It gives women a sense of empowerment to seek appropriate medical advice and support.

Minimizing Element of Stigma: Most women are embarrassed to discuss their symptoms since it is stigmatized. Awareness about it will normalize conversations related to menopause and make it easy on the woman to seek help and discuss her experiences.

Health Consequences: The decrease in estrogen during menopause has some potential long-term health effects, including increased risks related to osteoporosis, heart diseases, and gaining extra weight. Awareness may, therefore, promote preventive measures through healthier lifestyle options.

Support Mechanisms: Greater awareness can be translated into more adequate support structures for women. Supportive mechanisms become increasingly sensitive and understanding as families, friends, and caregivers are aware of what these women are going through in this change.

Management of Menopausal Symptoms

Symptoms of menopause can be managed in a number of ways that can help a woman live an active and healthy quality life. Some are highlighted below.

Lifestyle Changes: The greatest improvement can be derived from lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, proper diet, and weight management. Nutritional foods with calcium and vitamin D will help support the bones and minimize the risk of osteoporosis.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: HRT replaces the hormones that the body no longer produces, hence relieving symptoms. However, benefits and risks of HRT need to be weighed with the health professional.

Other Therapies: Many women find relief from symptoms with alternative therapies such as acupuncture, herbal supplements, or yoga exercises. However, such a course of treatment needs to be initiated after consulting a health professional.

Mental Health Support: It is a very crucial aspect in the transition phase. Support groups, counseling, or therapy provide a no-judgment zone where one can consider sharing all feelings and experiences.

A menstrual Pads

Pads are rectangles of absorbent material that attach to the inside of a girl's underwear and catch menstrual blood. They're sometimes also called sanitary pads or sanitary napkins.

Menopause:

Menopause is a time of transition in every woman's life, and each woman is differently affected by it. Growing awareness of the causes of menopause will greatly assist women to become more responsible for their health and wellness during these transition years.
We can open up discussions, educate, and support in great ways to enable her to embark on the journey with courage and strength.

It thus follows that, as society continues to evolve in its attitude toward aging, recognition of this transition as natural in life is appropriate, and we have much work to do to ensure women have what they need to understand and navigate through menopause and beyond with a newfound awareness that ensures better health for all women around the world.