Menopause: Stages, Symptoms, and Natural Relief
What is menopause?
Menopause is that stage of a women’s life where her menstrual periods stop permanently, and she can no longer get pregnant. It is not considered a disease or disorder, it is normal part of ageing for women. Menopause does not happen suddenly, but it happens slowly with time. The time that leads up to menopause is called the menopausal transition or perimenopause.
Common Symptoms and stages
Symptoms of menopause are very mild, or there are no symptoms for some people. On one side, menopause is a relief for many people as they don’t have to worry about their periods or getting pregnant. But on the other side, the transition period of menopause brings many symptoms that can be irritating, such as night sweats, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, joint and muscle discomforts, pain during sex, and even mood swings. These symptoms can last up to 7-8 years, but it can vary according to women’s body. Women who are feeling such symptoms should consult a doctor.
Basically, there are three broad stages of menopause, which are perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
• Perimenopause is the transition period that leads up to menopause. In this stage, the menstrual cycle becomes irregular. Women feel most of the symptoms during this stage.
• The next stage is menopause; it is defined as the 12 consecutive months without periods. After that menopause symptoms are at their worst.
• The third stage is postmenopause; that is the time after menopause, when a women’s ovaries have completely stopped producing oestrogen and progesterone.
Physical and emotional impacts
During the journey of menopause, women feel both physical and emotional changes. Some changes that commonly shows are given below:
Physical Impacts:
Physical impact include the symptoms such as sudden feelings of heat , also called hot flashes, weight gain, loss of bone density, vaginal dryness, pain during sex, lack of sleep due to hormonal changes in the body which led to insomnia and sleep disturbance, and other common symptoms like dry skin, dry mouth, and breast tenderness.
Emotional Impacts
Emotional impacts on women during menopause include mood wings, anxiety, depression, memory problems, and also some people feeling low self esteem. Mood swings and panic attacks are the most common symptoms seen during menopause.
Lifestyle tips for managing menopause
For managing menopause, women should take care of many things, including the diet they are taking, a good amount of sleep and exercises. Given below is the breakdown of the things women should keep in mind.
For maintaining a proper diet, one should add plenty of fruits and vegetables to their diet, reduce intake of processed food such as sugary drinks and avoid unhealthy fats. Take an adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D, as bone density reduces during menopause, so taking calcium can help strengthen bones. Drink plenty of water to avoid dryness of skin, mouth and eyes.
Another thing women should take care of is doing regular exercises such as running, jogging and also dancing, which can help in maintaining their bodies. Yoga and meditation also helps to reduce stress and maintain the body’s flexibility.
Also women should keep track of their sleeping time; 6 to 8 hours of sleep is mandatory for relaxing and keeping yourself healthy.
Additionally, spending time outside in a natural environment can help deal with mood wings and helps stress. One can also visit a therapist for sharing their concerns and feelings.
Natural remedies for menopause relief
For treating menopause naturally, you should know their symptoms first. Understanding menopause is essential for treating symptoms, as it is along 12 - month process that occurs when the ovaries stop producing the hormones.
Some of the natural remedies women should be using are as follows:
• Diet and nutrition :
Take foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as soy products, flax seeds and legumes, into your diet; they help in alleviating hot flashes and other symptoms.
Women should get enough calcium and vitamin D from foods, such as diary products, leafy greens and fortified foods, for maintaining bone health during menopause.
Including fatty fish like salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds in your diet helps reduce inflammation.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as it can exacerbate hot flashes and disrupt sleep cycle.
• Lifestyle changes:
Engaging in regular exercises can help manage weight and improve overall well being. Daily 30 min exercises are enough for your body to be in good shape
Practice yoga and meditation, which helps in stress reduction and helps in coping with mood swings and anxiety.
Hydration is another important factor one should take care of; proper hydration can help in dry skin , vaginal dryness and overall comfort.
Reduce the intake of sugar and processed foods, as it helps in stabilising blood sugar levels and reducing mood swings.
• Take supplements
Supplements such as vitamin E, Magnesium and vitamin B help women find relief from many symptoms including night sweats, sleep disturbances and mood instability during menopause.
• Therapies
Taking therapies, either physical or mental both can help in maintaining good health during menopause. Physical therapies such as acupuncture can help women to stimulate energy flow, reduce hot flashes and improve mood swings.
Other therapies a women can take are biofeedback and hypnotherapy; these mind-blowing techniques can help women gain control over physiological functions like heart rate and body temperature. They also help reduce stress- related symptoms.
When to seek medical help
When you feel like symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings are affecting your daily life and are becoming severely day by day, or you experience sudden heavy bleeding, bleeding after sex and bleeding post menopause or if you are under 45 and experiencing menopause symptoms, you should consult your healthcare provider.
Other common symptoms include depression and anxiety such as feeling hopeless or restless; you can also vist a therapist for this.
