Transition phases of the body are never easy. Whether it be the frightful teenage years where puberty brings a hoard of body changes, or the adulthood where the hormones go into hibernation.
Whereas everyone has different experience of hormonal transitions, however, to say women have it harder would not be an exaggeration.
What is Menopause
In women, menopause marks the end of the menstrual life cycle. It is an extremely difficult time for women, where age and raging hormones tend to take a lot of toll on the mental and the physical health.
There is no same experience of menopause, as every woman undergoes a unique journey. Some have a seamless sailing, whereas others have a more rigorous response to the hormonal fluctuations.
Menopause can happen to women in their 40s and 50s. It is split into 3 phases; perimenopause –the time leading to it–, menopause and post menopause.
Signs of Menopause
There are many mental and physical challenges and problems that tend to accompany menopause. The most common are:
Periods Problems
Period problems can start in the early perimenopause and are easiest to detect. In some women, the flow becomes heavier, whereas it decreases in some. Moreover, many women also have irregular periods where certain months are skipped, sometimes the cycle returns to the norm and other times, the irregularities continue.
However, periods also tend to come more frequently than usual in certain women and these shorted cycles might be accompanied by heavy bleeding as well. This is a cause for grave concern as it could potentially lead to anemia.
Regardless, women having irregular period problems need to visit the best gynecologist in Karachi to rule out pregnancy and get treatment for other conditions like anemia.
Hot Flashes
These are sudden waves of heat that emanate from the face and upper body and move downwards in a wave. Hot flashes cause blushing and red blotches to appear alongside sweat patches. Some women tend to get chills together with the flashes as well. Such is the severity of the flashes that an episode during the sleep can wake one up.
Hot flashes are caused due to the fluctuation in the estrogen levels. It tends to continues for years after menopause.
Bladder Issues
Partly due to age and partly due to menopause, bladder control becomes a problem. Alongside frequent urination, and incontinence, bladder infections or UTIs also become more frequent.
Sleeping Issues
Menopausal women tend to have sleep problems due to the changes occurring in their bodies. Night sweats due to the hot flashes disturb sleep. Moreover, the escalated stress levels during menopause makes sleep harder as well. Bladder problems and frequent urination also make uninterrupted sleep nearly impossible.
Behavioral and mood changes
Menopausal women tend to get irritated quickly. They have more sullen disposition and mood swings. Stress also causes them to act out. Depression is also a likelihood in some cases. Aging and its anxieties also play out and manifest in the form of tense demeanor and crying spells.
Vaginal Problems
Another problem associated with menopause is vaginal discomfort as the vagina gets drier. Itching and chafing become more pronounced. Sex also becomes very uncomfortable due to lack of lubrication. Some women tend to get atrophic vaginitis, which is characterized by dried, inflamed and thinned vaginal walls.
Other signs of menopause include; increased facial hair, weight gain, musculoskeletal problems, headaches, breasts feeling less full and becoming sore etc. Many a times, these symptoms get better with time, others might require a visit to a gynecologist in Lahore, especially when the symptoms are debilitating.