Other Body Changes Due to Menopause
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal change in a woman's body. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row (and there are no other causes, such as pregnancy or illness, for this change). Menopause is sometimes called, "the change of life." Leading up to menopause, a woman’s body slowly makes less and less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This change often happens between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. As you near menopause, you may have symptoms from the changes your body is making. Many women wonder if these changes are normal, and many are confused about how to treat their symptoms. You will feel better by learning all you can about menopause and talking with your doctor about your health and your symptoms. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or concern, your doctor can teach you about treatment options and help you to make wise treatment choices.
What are the symptoms of menopause affect every woman differently. Your only symptom may be your period stopping. You may have other symptoms, too. Many symptoms at this time of life are because of you getting older. However, some are due to menopause. Common symptoms of menopause include:
- Change in pattern of periods (can be shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, more or less time between periods)
- Hot flashes (sometimes called hot flushes), night sweats (sometimes followed by a chill)
- Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
- Vaginal dryness
- Mood swings, feeling crabby, crying spells (probably because of lack of sleep) Trouble focusing, feeling mixed-up or confused
- Hair loss or thinning on your head, more hair growth on your face
When a woman is young, estrogen helps to keep bone strong. When estrogen levels fall at menopause, bones weaken. When bones weaken a lot, the condition is called osteoporosis. Weak bones can break more easily. Many women experience bone loss after menopause. There are plenty of things a woman can do to avoid the side effects of menopause. Eating a healthy diet and exercising at menopause and beyond are important to feeling your best. Most women do not need any special treatment for menopause. However, some women may have menopause symptoms that need treatment. Several treatments are available. It's a good idea to talk about the treatments with your doctor so you can choose what’s best for you. There is no one treatment that is good for all women. Sometimes menopause symptoms go away over time without treatment, but there’s no way to know when.
Hormone therapy (HT): If used properly, hormone therapy (once called hormone replacement therapy or HRT) is one way to deal with the more difficult symptoms of menopause. It's the only therapy that is approved by the government for treating more difficult hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Hormone therapy should NOT be used solely to prevent heart or bone disease, stroke, memory loss, or Alzheimer's disease. There are many kinds of hormone therapies so your doctor can suggest what's best for you. As with all treatments, HT has both possible benefits and possible risks. If you decide to use HT, use the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed.
HT can help with menopause by:
- Reducing hot flashes
- Treating vaginal dryness
- Slowing bone loss
- Improving sleep (and thus decrease mood swings)
- For some women, HT may increase their chance of:
- Blood clots
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Breast cancer
- Gall bladder disease
Some women decide to take herbal or other plant-based products to help relieve hot flashes. Soy contains phytoestrogens. Nevertheless, there is no proof that soy really does make hot flashes better. The best sources of soy are foods such as tofu, tempeh, soymilk, and soy nuts. These soy products are more likely to work on mild hot flashes. Other sources of phytoestrogens include herbs such as black cohosh, wild yam, dong quai, and valerian root. Again, there is no proof that these herbs (or pills or creams containing these herbs) help with hot flashes. Products that come from plants may sound like they are safe, but there is no proof they really are. There also is no proof that they are better at helping symptoms of menopause. Make sure to discuss these types of products with your doctor before taking them. You also should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, since some plant products can be harmful when combined with other drugs.