7 questions to know everything about menopause

You've already heard about menopause around you, but apart from the few ailments it causes, you don't know much about the subject. Who is affected, how to detect it, what are the symptoms and how to treat them? Here are all the answers to your questions.

1. What is menopause?

This natural phenomenon occurs when the woman's egg stocks are exhausted, and the production of sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) stops. Menopause therefore marks the end of periods and the reproductive period. A woman is said to be truly menopausal when she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.

 

2. At what age does this phenomenon appear?

Generally, women go through menopause around the age of 50. More broadly, this can happen between the ages of 45 and 55 . The age at which this phenomenon occurs is partly hereditary. A phase called “premenopause” often precedes menopause. Thus, women begin to experience changes (irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, irritability, etc.) sometimes 5 years before reaching menopause.

It happens that some women experience the symptoms of menopause before the age of 40, in this case it is premature menopause. This can be spontaneous or caused by an illness, medications, surgery, radiotherapy treatment or even smoking. Conversely, late menopause can occur after age 55 or even 60.

 

3. How do I know if I am menopausal?

To know if you are in menopause, simply look at your symptoms, including your menstrual cycle . If you don't have your period at all for 12 months in a row, the diagnosis is clear. No examination is, a priori, necessary in this case.

If in doubt, if you are under 45 for example, the doctor may carry out a test. A dosage of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is then carried out. If it is high, it means menopause is here. Indeed, when estrogen production drops, the pituitary gland tries to regulate this and begins to produce more FSH.

 

4. What are the symptoms?

Menopause causes physical and psychological symptoms . However, not all women experience these annoying problems, or at least not in the same way. The disorders can be transient or long-lasting .

Hot flashes

Nearly 75% of postmenopausal women experience hot flashes. They can appear day or night and last between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The flushes commonly result in the onset of chills, tremors, sweating, a feeling of discomfort and dizziness. During a hot flash, you may feel a sudden sensation of intense heat , rising from your chest to your face. All sometimes accompanied by redness and palpitations.

Several factors promote the appearance of hot flashes: spicy foods, alcohol, excessively high ambient heat, intense sporting activity, even emotions and stress.

Night sweats

Sweating sometimes accompanies hot flashes. However, they can also occur in the middle of the night, without being linked to flushing. Heavy and regular night sweating is a real nightmare because it disrupts sleep . The first thing to do is to adapt your sleeping outfit as well as the temperature of the room.

Widespread drought

Menopause and vulvovaginal dryness

Decreased vaginal lubrication, thinning and loss of elasticity of the vaginal walls are caused by falling levels of estrogen in the blood. It is therefore not uncommon to suffer from vaginal dryness during menopause. In addition, these changes can impact sex life and worsen the reduction in desire (already linked to hormonal changes).

Skin and hair

Some postmenopausal women also notice that their skin and hair are drier and more damaged than before. This phenomenon is due to the drop in hormones which influences the production of collagen and elastin.

Sleep disorders and mood disorders

Hormonal changes that disrupt sleep (difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings), as well as unexpected awakenings due to night sweats can cause mood disorders in menopausal women. Some suffer from headaches and fatigue , making them more irritable . In addition, lack of sleep in some cases leads to problems with alertness and memory .

Weight gain

A slight weight gain occurs at the time of menopause. The fact is that the hormonal change causes a new distribution of fats in the body (rather towards the stomach than the thighs and hips in particular).

Incontinence

Symptoms rarely mentioned by menopausal women, urinary problems are nevertheless very real. The fact is that the muscles of the perineum lose their tone with the drop in estrogen. However, these leaks tend to occur during exercise, such as when coughing or participating in a sporting activity.

Joint pain

Stiffness, pain and swelling in the joints, particularly in the fingers and wrists, are common during menopause. Indeed, estrogen deficiency increases sensitivity to pain, particularly in the joints.

5. Are there any health risks?

Menopause has been proven to increase the risk of developing certain diseases . During this period, bone demineralization is higher, which leads to their weakening and increases the risk of osteoporosis. In addition, cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, heart attack or even stroke), which are usually more common in men, increase with the onset of menopause.

 

6. Can we fight against physical and psychological disorders?

Menopause can seem scary... How to combat all these symptoms? How to live in this body that we no longer recognize?

Let us first remember that this is a natural phenomenon, which is part of a woman's life cycle and that each year in France, more than 10 million women go through menopause.

Let's also remember that there are solutions to reduce these bothersome symptoms.

Medical treatments to combat symptoms linked to menopause

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment offered by the attending physician to correct symptoms linked to estrogen deficiency. Prescribed individually, assessing the benefits and risks, HRT is adapted to each patient.

However, controversy has arisen regarding hormonal treatments. The High Authority of Health (HAS) recognizes the link between such treatments and the risk of developing diseases such as breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer, but also the increase in the risk of venous thromboembolism and of stroke. The prescription must therefore be minimal and for a limited period.

Other methods

Many alternatives to hormonal treatments exist to reduce hot flashes, dryness and other pain associated with menopause. You can count on homeopathy and Chinese medicine (acupuncture, Chinese pharmacopoeia). Another even more natural way : food supplements combined with herbal medicine . This completely natural, hormone-free approach is based on the healing power of herbs and medicinal plants.

7. What should I do to preserve my well-being?

Beyond the treatments you can take to get better, the ideal is to focus on a healthy and balanced life thanks to these 5 tips:

 

• Eat healthy

It is recommended to favor foods rich in calcium, vitamin K and phytoestrogens (such as soy, flax seeds, chickpeas and onions) to combat deficiencies due to menopause. Conversely, it is preferable to avoid spicy foods, caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola) and hot or alcoholic drinks which promote hot flashes.

• Play sports

Nothing like walking, swimming or cycling to regulate your sleep and fight against depression, osteoporosis, excess weight and cardiovascular diseases.

• To relax

To prevent stress from overwhelming you, consider relaxing by practicing yoga, meditation, tai chi or even stretching.

• Take care of your body

Taking time for yourself is essential, especially when the symptoms of menopause overwhelm us. Take care of your body with a massage or moisturizer. He really needs it.

• Getting started in a new activity

Above all, this advice allows you to focus on something other than all the changes you are experiencing. Choosing a new challenge or activity often helps menopausal women reach this milestone without incident.

You now have all the cards in hand to face this new period of your life as a woman. Be aware of the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause in order to approach it with complete peace of mind. In some beliefs, it is also synonymous with a new beginning. In China, for example, we talk about the “second spring”.