Welcome to my website
where you will find many useful articles on menopause
First of all, let me share briefly why I started this blog. As a 60+ woman with decades of medical experience behind me, I thought it would be worth sharing my knowledge and personal experiences of menopause.
This is my way of helping my fellow women to go through the challenging period of menopause more smoothly and less dramatically. To find out more details about me, please click here.
Normal womb (top left) and ovary (bottom right) with follicles in different stages of development
During a couple of years before menopause (the very last period), bleeding tends to become irregular, with increased variability in menstrual cycle length and in the amount of menstrual bleeding (this is the stage of peri-menopause). However, menopause is only confirmed if there is no period for at least 12 months.
Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 48 and 52 years.
The “transition” period of peri-menopause may last 1–2 years, sometimes even 5–10 years. However, activity of our ovaries starts to decline quite long before menopause, in the early 40s.
In peri-menopause, less oestrogen and progesterone are produced during the menstrual cycle, fewer follicles[1] mature each month and the release of the egg (called ovulation) becomes more unpredictable.
[1] Follicle = A small, fluid-filled sac in the ovary that contains one immature egg. There are thousands of follicles in the ovaries.
But what actually is menopause?
Menopause is a normal condition involving the permanent end of menstrual cycles due to the termination of the production of reproductive hormones from the ovaries.
Stages in a woman’s life
We could say that a woman has 4 different stages in her life, from reproductive hormonal point of view:
- PRE-MENOPAUSE = the reproductive years with monthly periods
- PERIMENOPAUSE = the stage of hormonal fluctuations before the last period
- MENOPAUSE = the end of menstrual cycles (menopause literally means the “end of monthly cycles, from the Greek word pausis, meaning “pause” and mēn, meaning “month”)
- POSTMENOPAUSE = the stage of a woman’s life from 1 year after her periods stop.
In everyday life the word menopause is used to describe the period of hormonal chaos that occurs somewhere after the age of 40. This period actually includes the stages of peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause (stages of menopause more detailed) . In my posts when using the word menopause, I will actually refer to these 3 stages.
Besides natural (physiological) menopause, caused by a physiological decline in the production of reproductive hormones, there are also some pathological types of menopause:
- primary ovarian insufficiency, POI (premature menopause) = end of ovarian function before the age of 40, which may be due to genetic disorders or auto-immune conditions, when one’s own anti-bodies attack the ovaries.
- surgical menopause as a result of removal of the ovaries or womb, due to gynaecological issues.
- chemical menopause, when menopause is induced by hormone treatments that block the menstrual cycle. These treatments are used to treat conditions such as hormone-sensitive breast cancer, or endometriosis.
Symptoms and signs of menopause
There are a number of physical symptoms that may occur, which are associated with a lot of discomfort. They can also cause emotional instability, which together can make everyday life quite difficult.
Symptoms and signs in early menopause stage (perimenopause)
The most common early symptoms of menopause are sudden hot flushes and sweating at any time of the day without any warning.
Cardiovascular issues
- High blood pressure,
- headaches, migraines,
- heart issues (rapid and/or irregular heartbeat)
- increased water retention, resulting in swellings (oedemas).
If you have these symptoms, it is advisable to see your doctor to find out their cause, as it may not be just hormonal changes of menopause responsible for them, but also serious organ disorders.
Slow metabolism :
- increased belly fat
- and overall weight gain.
Sleep disturbances
and night sweats may occur.
Digestive issues
- bloating
- reflux
- constipation
- irregular bowel movements
Loss of cognitive abilities
- memory problems
- forgetfulness
- lack of concentration
Mental disorders
ranging from mild to severe can occur in conjunction with or independently of the above symptoms of menopause.
This phenomenon is so common that 7 out of every 10 women experience some level of mental impact during menopause.
So, it can be perfectly normal to feel angry, anxious or sad more often than not.
Anxiety and depression are also common disorders that may occur as you reach menopause.
The above symptoms may persist throughout the menopause and may return from time to time.
Symptoms and signs developing later after menopause
Symptoms of the urogenital system:
- frequent urge to pee
- urinary incontinence (unintentional passing of urine)
develop since thinning and weakening of mucous membranes of the vagina and urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) occurs because of lack of hormonal action and the tone of the tissues around the urethra decreases, causing urinary leakage.
- Thinning of the pubic hair. Dryness and itching of the vagina, which can make sexual life unpleasant.
- Abnormal vaginal and uterine bleeding is most common during this period. These may be caused by benign growths (such as uterine fibroids), uterine cancer or other diseases. In case of bleeding disorders, you should asap consult a gynaecologist!
Skin and hair issues
- Hair thinning, hair loss (especially on the top of the head).
- Skin and connective tissues become dry, thin and itchy.
Long-term symptoms after menopause
BONES, MUSCLES AND JOINTS
A long-term effect of hormonal changes of menopause is bone loss, which leads to a condition called osteoporosis.
Other issues affecting muscles and joints may also occur:
- decrease of muscle tissue, muscle aches,
- joint pain and stiffness,
- limited mobility.
OTHER HORMONES
Female hormone changes occurring during menopause may also contribute to other hormone imbalances, such as:
- insulin resistance,
- type II diabetes,
- thyroid dysfunction.
It is important to know that menopause is not a disease but a natural life cycle.
You cannot stop the menopause happening, but if you are “equipped” with the right knowledge, you can take action to lessen the impact of symptoms and optimise your menopause journey.
Relief for symptoms of menopause
Menopause is not a disease and therefore the symptoms cannot be eliminated, but they can be alleviated and/or reduced. Fortunately, there are many ways to ease symptoms of menopause.
conventional treatments
- HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Non-hormonal medication such as anti-depressants and sleeping medication
- CBT – Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Life style recommendations
Natural remedies for menopausal symptoms
Some topics of my planned blog posts
In my blog posts, I will write about different symptoms associated with menopause and their management with tools of so-called non-conventional medicine (complementary and alternative medicine, CAM) mainly in the light of my personal and professional experience.
Here you can read an article summarizing CAM therapies most commonly used for menopausal symptoms; in my posts I will explain in detail the tools of each method.
In my opinion the most important thing during menopause is to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle (including regular exercise).
In addition, we should try to avoid stress as much as possible, and support our mental health through relaxation methods, meditation, yoga nidra etc.
It is important to stress that before starting any conventional or non-conventional “treatment”, it is always worth consulting your doctor to find the best solution for you.
Get in Touch
If there’s a particular topic you’re curious about, drop me a message and I’ll do my utmost to quench your thirst for knowledge.