Understanding Menopause

Menopause is an unavoidable phase of every woman’s life. This is an important period as it marks the end of fertile years but the transition is not as smooth for some as it may seem. There is a drastic change in hormone levels and an imbalance of Leutenizing hormone, FSH and estrogen. These imbalances then result in symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, unstable mood, irritation, bone loss, joint health problems, pain, and vaginal dryness and estrogen-related cancer.

Why does Menopause happen?

At birth, the ovaries have all the eggs that a woman will ever have, and over the course of menstruating lives, the certain hormone signals their release for reproduction. As we age, egg reserves decline, so in response, ovaries slow down the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This decrease in sex hormones has far-reaching implications, from energy metabolism, to mood and beyond. How does Menopause happen?

Menopause happens in transition through different stages. The stages of Menopause transition are:

1. Perimenopause – it is the phase in which the signs of appearing menopause commences. It is a brief period of around a year with early, reduced, irregular or absent menstural cycle.

2. Menopause – this majorly involves all the symptoms and covers the transitional phase from perimenopause up until the final menstural period.

3. Post-Menopause – this is the perios where no mensturation has occurred in 12 months.

Hormonal Changes During Menopause: Fluctuating levels of Estrogen: Dominance, Reduction & Drop.

There is a fluctuation in estrogen levels seen during the Menopause transition. Initially there is a sudden estrogen dominance in the perimenopausal stage and reduced estrogen during menopausal stage followed by a sudden and drastic drop in estrogen post-menopausal stage. These fluctuations result in bloating, breast tenderness, heavy bleeding (during dominance) and hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, bone loss, and vaginal dryness (during reduction and drop).

Symptoms of menopause

The average onset of menopausal symptoms is around 45.5 to 47.5 years. Women may feel various symptoms and discomfort which may vary in length and experience. Menopause leads to fluctuating levels of estrogen through the stages of menopause until it drops towards the last stage and also contributes to loss of bone mineral density.Menopausal women will develop a series of physical and psychological disorders including:

• Hot flushes

• Sweating

• Insomnia

• Fatigue

• Cardiac discomfort

• Bladder problems

• Dryness in the vagina

• Pain in the joints, and rheumatoid complaints

• Impatience/Irritability/mental exhaustion.

Managing Menopausal Symptoms

Menopausal symptoms have a substantial effect on the physical, and mental well-being and overall quality of life of women. Increased awareness about menopause, its physiology and symptoms, and coping strategies through nutritional interventions, exercise, and diet can drastically help women going through a time of menopausal transition.

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