Wellness Care: Symptoms
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Handling Menopause Symptoms
"What's going on with me?" That's a very common question a lot of women have during perimenopause or menopause, when night sweats disturb their sleep, or when they feel like they're becoming more forgetful. Some women have many of these symptoms; others have very few.
Let's walk through the most common menopausal symptoms, and describe each one.
- Changes in menstrual periods
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Forgetfulness
- Moodiness
- Changes in urination
- Weight gain and shift
- Headache
- Palpitations
- Joint pain
- Loss of bone density
- Skin, hair, and eye changes
- Other perimenopause and menopause symptoms
Changes in menstrual periods
About 90% of women experience menstrual cycle changes for about 4-8 years before they reach menopause. Your cycle will typically get shorter, with periods occurring more often than every 28 days. Bleeding may last fewer or more days than previously, and your flow may be heavier, lighter, or just spotting. Just before you go through menopause, you may even skip periods. These are all signs that you're not producing as much of the two hormones — estrogen and progesterone — that regulate your menstrual cycle.
What you can do: Be sure to keep extra tampons and pads in a number of places (work, home, car) just in case! Please consult your healthcare provider if you are concerned about the fluctuation in your cycle.
Hot flashes and night sweats
No one is completely sure what causes hot flashes (or their night-time counterpart, night sweats). But part of the reason is that at menopause, you don't produce enough of the hormones that tell the brain to regulate your temperature. The drop in estrogen confuses the body's thermostat and sends an alert to the heart, blood vessels, and nervous system to work harder, which in turn brings on a sudden sensation of intense heat. Then your body cools down, leaving you chilled. Night sweats can wake you from a sound sleep, and can make it difficult to get into the deeper layers of sleep that rest and revitalize the body.
What you can do: Dress in layers so you can always remove the top layer when a flash comes on, and then cover up again when you're chilled. At night, keep an extra nightshirt next to your bed and change it if you wake up sweaty. You can also spread a few towels between you and your sheets. After a hot flash, strip out the first towel and throw it on the floor. The next towel will be dry and comfortable, and you won't have to change the bedding. See the Menopause Resource section for suggested products to use.
Vaginal dryness
As estrogen levels decline, the vagina becomes less lubricated. In addition, the number of layers in the vaginal lining shrinks, and this thinner skin is more likely to become irritated or susceptible to vaginal infections. For this reason, sex may not feel as good as it used to.
What you can do: Use a vaginal moisturizer to soothe vaginal dryness and itching, and an intimate lubricant during intercourse. See the Menopause Resource section for suggested products to use.
Forgetfulness
While it's true that many menopausal women become forgetful, in the vast majority of cases, this isn't a sign of more serious memory issues — the brain simply doesn't retain as much information as we age. And, if you don't get enough sleep and are frequently distracted by hot flashes, you may find it even harder to concentrate. Some women find that they are less distracted when the hormonal fluctuations of menopause have passed. The aging brain can be a lot better at remembering long-term events than short-term ones.
What you can do: Keep a pad and pen with you at all times to make lists. At home, always put your keys down in the same place. And when driving, park your car next to some specific landmark, and write it down so you can find it again.
Moodiness
There are many stressors that can hit women in midlife: divorce or death of parents or a spouse, grown children leaving home, the regret of never having had children — all can lead to feelings of vulnerability and moodiness. Yet there are no studies that show that menopause leads to depression or anxiety. You may recall that during adolescence — another time of life when your hormones were in flux — you were also moody and irritable at times. And now, just as then, your emotional state can be not so great one day, but excellent the next.
What you can do: Count to ten! This will give you time to breathe and get back to being in control of your emotions. But don't be afraid to cry, laugh, or do whatever you feel like to let off steam (when it's appropriate, e.g. not in the middle of a business meeting!).
Changes in urination
Many women find that they have to urinate more frequently as they get older. Also, the bladder control muscles may weaken from lack of estrogen; and pressure from coughing, sneezing, or lifting can push urine though the weakened muscle. Up to 30% of women in midlife experience stress incontinence — or urine leakages — when coughing, laughing, sneezing, or lifting.
What you can do: Many healthcare professionals recommend women perform pelvic floor muscle exercises, or Kegel exercises, to help strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. To do these, tighten your pubococcygeus, or "PC" muscles, which are the muscles you would tighten if you were to intentionally stop your urine flow. Tighten and hold these muscles for a count of 10; then relax. Do this ten times, three times a day. Results are typically seen in four to six weeks. Another benefit is that "PC" muscles play a vitally important role in sexual arousal and climax!
Weight gain and shift
Most of us put on a few pounds as we age, and more of what we eat turns to fat rather than muscle. This is because of the fluctuation in your hormones. Around the time of menopause, women develop "insulin resistance", making their bodies store fat rather than burn calories. This realignment of weight can make you appear heavier, though you may weigh the same as you always did. The good news is that an extra five pounds or so is good padding for your bones in case of a fall.
What you can do: Try not to step on a scale every day, or sweat every little calorie. If you're overweight, talk to your healthcare provider about setting up a well-balanced diet for this time of life. And exercise, exercise, exercise! Women who are physically active tend to have fewer and less severe hot flashes.
Headache
Hormonal changes can cause certain types of headaches, and these usually stop once menopause is reached and levels are stable. Other types of headaches may be caused by a lack of sleep and stress.
What you can do: Sit or lie down in a dark room and concentrate on relaxing all the muscles in your body. Give yourself a good ten minutes to imagine the headache leaving your body. If you still have serious and frequent headaches, see your healthcare provider.
Palpitations
It's fairly common to have palpitations — or a rapid heartbeat — during a hot flash. In the great majority of cases, this is not serious and has nothing to do with a heart attack, but it can cause a certain amount of anxiety.
What you can do: Breathe! Pay attention to your inhales and exhales, and make a conscious effort to slow down the breath. Also understand that this episode will pass quickly. But if your heart is still racing after the hot flash is over, consult your healthcare professional.
Joint pain
Aging and lack of lubrication in the joints may make you feel achy. This is also a time of life when some women develop osteoarthritis, an inflammation of the joints.
What you can do: Exercise! Too keep all systems working smoothly, it's important to move every day. Swimming and yoga are both great types of exercise for achy joints. Treat yourself to a massage (or get a loved one to do it!) every once in a while.
Loss of bone density
Estrogen helps to remodel bone so that new cells replace old ones and bones remain strong and dense. During and after menopause, there is less bone turnover, which means that bones may become brittle and can break more easily.
What you can do: Take a daily calcium supplement. The recommended daily intake is 1000 mg, but most women after menopause require 1200 mg to 1500 mg of calcium each day. Your healthcare provider may recommend a bone density scan (a non-invasive test that gauges how much bone you may have lost and how likely it is to fracture). If you do have low bone density, your healthcare provider may prescribe treatment. And exercise is vital to keeping bones strong!
Skin, hair, and eye changes
Your skin is likely to become thinner, and wrinkles may appear because of lack of moisture. Your hair, too, may become thinner and lose its color (but only your hairdresser knows this!). However, eyesight may actually become better for some people who were nearsighted in early life. Some women do complain of dry eyes, and may find that it's harder to wear contact lenses.
What you can do: Stay out of the sun, or wear sunblock and protective clothing as well as dark glasses. Be sure to wear a daily moisturizer with at least SFP15.
Other perimenopause and menopause symptoms
Tiredness is a big concern of many menopausal women, but lack of sleep and stress may account for this as well as for the nausea, tingling toes and fingers, dizziness, and shortness of breath that some women experience. None of the symptoms above are life-threatening; most past quickly, and others can be eased with a variety of excellent solutions.
What you can do: Take it easy! This is a time of your life when it's crucial to take breaks and schedule time for just listening to music, talking with friends, reading a good book, and throwing yourself into activities you really enjoy. When you're doing something that gives you pleasure, you may find the energy for it!