Menopause. This word is seen by many people as something negative, since it represents the end of female fertility. Other people see it as a liberation, because after it they stop having menstruation.
Regardless of how it is viewed, it is an inevitable physiological phenomenon in the life of every woman and that in many cases generates various discomforts and symptoms, elements that can signal the arrival of the last of the menstruations.
In this article you can learn about the 14 symptoms and signs of menopause and its arrival
Menopause is understood as the moment in which the last menstruation occurs, with the climacteric being the period of time that goes from the moments before its arrival to those after it. In fact, what is considered menopause itself is the moment when the last period occurs, the last menstruation. It is considered that you have reached menopause when you stop having menstruation for at least a year
Its origin is the end of the production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovary. With age, the ovaries age and the follicles wear out, decreasing the amount of the aforementioned hormones, until there comes a time when no new eggs are released. On average, menopause usually arrives between 45 and 55, although in some cases it can occur early or late.
Menopause can be a turning point, with those who suffer it losing the ability to conceive through traditional methods. This can be a big setback for some people, especially due to the consideration that they are reaching old age, the unfulfilled desire to be a mother, or the social stigma of losing the ability to conceive. derived from classic gender stereotypes, a stigma that, although it is becoming less and less, still persists in some sectors of society.
In this way, problems such as anxiety attacks or depression may appear. However, it is a natural phenomenon that does not have to be seen as something negative, since it does not prevent the performance of any type of activity and can even allow some others to be experienced in a different way.
But menopause does not come suddenly. Even years before, the body already gradually showing signs of ovarian aging some of which we will see in detail below.
Symptoms and signs of the arrival of menopause
Menopause, as we have indicated previously, is usually preceded by various symptoms that indicate the cessation of some of the functions of the female reproductive system and the hormonal change that is occurring in the female body.
Below are fourteen symptoms and signs typical of the arrival of menopause. Some of them can be treated medically especially when they cause intense suffering in the person.
1. Hot flashes
One of the best-known symptoms that warns us of the arrival of menopause are those known as hot flashes. Heat waves that begin with a sudden feeling of heat in the chest and the face and then expand to the entire body. They usually last about four minutes, and are sometimes followed by shaking and chills.
Hot flashes usually appear some time before menopause and can last up to years after the menopause, generally being the year before the cessation of menstruation when they occur with more frequency and intensity. They are more common at night.
2. Irregular menstrual cycles
Menopause is the last menstruation, but before its arrival it is common for the body to show progressive degeneration of ovarian function. It is common for the period to arrive irregularly varying the dates on which the period arrives and becoming longer and longer, although the periods may be shorter, it is common for the amount of menstrual flow to be greater than usual (although the opposite is also common).
Premenopausal women frequently have sleep problems, the presence of insomnia being common or awakenings during the night. Sometimes these problems are usually facilitated by other symptoms such as hot flashes, but this is not essential.
4. Mood alterations
Being in a period of hormonal changes makes it easy for your mood to vary greatly. Emotional lability and irritability are common. In fact, at this stage there is a high risk of developing depressive symptoms Some reasons for this are that the person in question wants to be able to get pregnant or the thought that she is approaching old age.
5. Anxiety
Like the possible presence of depressive symptoms, anxiety is another aspect that is common to find in women in the process of reaching menopause. The decrease in estrogen It can cause other hormones such as dopamine to be reduced, enhancing states of stress and anxiety.
6. Weight gain
It is very common for women who are close to or after menopause to tend to gain weight. This is partly due to the hormonal changes that the body undergoes during this period, which facilitate lipid accumulation Furthermore, the anxiety and mood changes that often accompany the arrival of the menopause facilitate unbalanced intake.
7. Alterations in the level of sexual desire
Another common symptom of the arrival of menopause is the presence of alterations in the level of sexual desire. Generally, this decreases due to the drop in estrogen levels. However, it has been recorded that in many cases sexual appetite increases once menopause has passed, due among other factors to the increase in testosterone that also occurs after the menopause.
8. Headaches and migraines, vertigo and dizziness
Headache is another relatively common symptom in premenopausal women. Tension-type headaches tend to increase, especially, and tend to be more typical in women who previously suffered from this type of problem. It is also relatively common for dizziness and vertigo to appear.
Upon reaching menopause, the possibility of suffering from osteoporosis greatly increases, a bone disease in which there is a progressive decrease in bone density and facilitating the existence of fractures This increased risk is because the end of ovarian function causes an increase in bone resorption (removal of tissue, releasing minerals from the bone into the blood).
10. Memory and concentration problems
The presence of lapses and forgetfulness in the period of time surrounding menopause is very common. The decrease in estrogen and other neurotransmitters, along with the effects produced by conditions such as low mood, usually facilitates the existence of memory failures
11. Loss and dryness in hair, skin and nails
The decrease in different hormones in premenopausal women is related to a decrease in collagen levels. Therefore, it is common cause the skin to peel and dry as well as nails and hair becoming brittle and easy to break.
12. Decrease in energy
Difficulties falling asleep, hormonal changes and the effect of mood swings and anxiety cause energy levels to drop rapidly. Both physical and mental fatigue appear and some demotivation may also occur.
13. Urogenital symptoms: Urinary incontinence and vaginal dryness
The fact that a progressive loss of estrogen occurs causes different changes to occur in the vagina and the urogenital system. Regarding the vagina, a certain dryness tends to occur, loss of elasticity and even reduction of the vaginal wall which in turn can lead to the presence of dyspareunia and avoidance of sexual contact.
When it comes to incontinence, some of the hormonal changes make it easier for the bladder to undergo different changes, which make it easier for urine loss to occur. It is also not uncommon for urinary tract infections to be more common.
14. Joint pain
estrogens have anti-inflammatory effect Its decrease, therefore, facilitates the presence of inflammation in places such as the joints.
