Hot flashes, night sweats, belly fat, vaginal dryness. Many women are afraid of M when they approach middle age, but gynecologists say that menopause is not necessarily a negative experience. It’s all about understanding the treatment plan and maintaining a positive attitude.

Most women go through menopause between the ages of 40 and 58-when women no longer have menstruation, the average age is 51 years.

Some women may not realize that their body changes started years before their last menstrual period. Perimenopause—a precursor of menopause—may take two to eight years.

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in Perimenopausal, Women will start to have irregular menstrual periods, which may be lighter or heavier than usual or have a different duration. She may even have no menstrual bleeding for a few months.

All these drastic changes in the female menstrual cycle are caused by changes in hormone levels. The ovaries no longer continuously produce the same levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Women who have not menstruated within a year are considered to have entered menopause.

Symptoms associated with menopause usually begin during the perimenopausal period.The most common are irregular menstruation, hot flashes, trouble sleeping, night sweats, mood changes, weight gain, dry skin, thinning hair, and The vagina is dry, which can make intercourse painful.

Once a woman completes the transition to menopause, some of her symptoms (such as hot flashes) may become less severe, but other symptoms may need to be carefully managed for the rest of her life.

Menopause is a natural part of female aging, so there is no cure, but gynecologists say that there are a variety of treatments that can help reduce symptoms, including lifestyle changes, natural remedies, hormone therapy, and over-the-counter prescription drugs.

Interpret the cause of symptoms

Dr. Marissa Rose said that because menopause can cause so many symptoms, it is sometimes difficult to figure out what menopause is and what may be a separate medical condition. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Rose said that every woman’s menopause experience is different. For some women, menopause may be debilitating, but others have almost no symptoms.

For example, female Endometriosis, A condition in which the endometrium grows onto the ovaries and fallopian tubes, usually with very painful menstrual cycles. Rose explained that so they actually got relief during menopause.

Menopause and its effects have not been fully studied, especially its Rare symptoms, like Brain fog, Joint pain, dry mouth and dental problems, breast tenderness, fatigue And insomnia, experts say.

Ross said the connection between these rare and surprising symptoms is still not really understood. At this point, all of this is still very theoretical.

“There is not much data on them, but estrogen is an important hormone for women,” added Dr. Rachel Kramer, Medical Director of Women’s Services, Virtua Medical Group“Many organs have estrogen receptors.”

some studies It has been shown that vasomotor symptoms can change women’s cognitive function During the perimenopausal period, Causes memory performance to degrade.

However, Kramer warned that women and their doctors should not rule out other diseases, such as thyroid disease or mood disorders, when trying to understand new symptoms.

“Be careful not to blame all symptoms on perimenopause and menopause,” she said. “This is a diagnosis of exclusion.”

Leukemia can cause hot flashes and night sweats, just like menopause and heart palpitations can She said it means heart disease.

“Check regularly,” she said. Taking care of your bones and heart is important, and when you do this, you will eventually treat many of the symptoms of menopause. “

A condition similar to the symptoms of menopause is HypothyroidismThis happens when the thyroid no longer produces enough hormones to regulate metabolism and the body’s sensitivity to cold and heat.

Low levels of these hormones- T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine)—— Can cause fatigue, depression, unexplained weight gain, and forgetfulness. People with hypothyroidism may also feel cold all the time, and their hair and skin may become dry and rough. These symptoms are very similar to menopause.

Middle-aged women also often experience mood swings, short-term memory loss, and cognitive difficulties due to reasons other than menopause. It may be life pressure, such as divorce, widowhood or taking care of children and elderly parents. Or it may be related to another medical condition.

Manage menopausal symptoms

Ross and Kramer each recommend Menopause.org, A website created by the North American Menopause Association, is a good resource for the latest research on different symptoms of menopause.

They say that changes in lifestyle can make a big difference. Healthy eating, daily exercise, and use of relaxation techniques, such as massage or deep breathing exercises, can help relieve mood changes and other symptoms. Some women also get relief through over-the-counter treatments, such as St. John’s wort or vitamin B6.

No one size fits everyone. The treatment is very personal. Discuss the symptoms you want to treat with your doctor. You may not want to treat some of them. — Dr. Rachel Kramer of Virtua Medical Group

Frustrated It is an important health problem for postmenopausal women. The gynecologist emphasized that if a woman is experiencing emotional changes that do not respond to lifestyle changes, she should be evaluated for depression. May require antidepressant medication, treatment, or counseling.

Women experiencing urinary incontinence (another possible symptom of menopause) can also change their lifestyles. Drinking enough water and avoiding foods and beverages high in acid or caffeine, such as grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes, and coffee, can reduce the irritation of the bladder. Doing Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

To make night sweats easier to bear, Menopause.org Recommended for women to try These simple tips: sleep in layers, put an electric fan in the bedroom, and an ice pack under the pillow to keep them cool at night.

in order to Sexual discomfortExperts recommend the use of vaginal lubricants, such as Astroglide or Silk-E, or vaginal moisturizers, such as Relens and LY long-acting vaginal moisturizers. They can be used without a prescription. Experts emphasize that only water-soluble products should be used. Oil-based lubricants, such as petroleum jelly, may make the irritation worse.

Regular sexual stimulation is necessary to prevent vaginal atrophy. The vagina is a muscle—use it or lose it, Kramer said.

When will HRT work

Experts say that hormone replacement therapy is also a treatment option, but the risks and benefits need to be carefully weighed.

“Hormone replacement therapy is only recommended to treat symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal atrophy, bladder and urinary problems,” Ross said. “If it contradicts other options, it can also be used to treat osteoporosis. HRT should only be taken for a short period of time. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.”

Risks include blood clots in the legs or lungs and a higher risk of stroke. Long-term use of estrogen/progestin therapy can also increase the risk of breast cancer.It has not been found that using estrogen alone for seven years increases the risk of breast cancer Women’s Health Initiative Trial, A study examining the effects of hormone therapy.

“HRT has a bad reputation, but it can be beneficial for the right people,” Kramer said. “This is a personal choice a woman should make with her doctor.”

Dr. Marisa Rose of Temple Health only recommends hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal atrophy, bladder and urinary problems.

It is recommended that women who have just experienced vaginal dryness or discomfort during intercourse take a low dose of vaginal estrogen. Kramer added that, unlike hormone replacement therapy, vaginal estrogen is safe for women with breast and ovarian cancer.

A kind A recent study It has also been found that resveratrol is a phytoestrogens with circulating benefits and a safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy, especially for the treatment of chronic pain experienced by many postmenopausal women.

“Take care of your body and heart. Eat right, exercise, and have regular sex. This helps everything,” Kramer said.

“Estrogen has a protective effect on the heart. This is why women are less likely to have a heart attack prematurely. However, during the perimenopausal period, they are at increased risk of heart disease. Eat a healthy diet and eat the right amount of calories every day, almost Take 30 minutes of exercise to protect your health. Exercise can even start slow libido by increasing blood flow.”

Bone health Kramer added that it becomes a problem around seven years after menopause. Women may suffer from osteoporosis due to bone loss. The mortality rate of osteoporosis is 10%.

She emphasized that women should ensure that they eat enough calcium and vitamin D in their diet. Anchovies, sardines, shiitake mushrooms and wild salmon are all good choices.

A woman’s mentality Experts say that the transition to menopause will also affect their symptoms. Studies have shown that a negative attitude towards symptoms may make symptoms worse.

Encourage women to observe their thoughts and live more in the moment instead of worrying about their symptoms. Laughter, keeping in touch with loved ones, and making time for self-care can all change the experience of menopause.

The biggest surprise

Rose said that one of the biggest surprises for women experiencing perimenopause is that their menstrual cycles actually get shorter before they get longer. She said that when the menstrual cycle is 21 days, it is completely normal for a woman to have two menstrual periods in a month.

Women can also become frustrated because exercise itself no longer causes weight loss. She explained that observing what they eat has become more important because weight management is now more related to the kitchen than to the gym.

“Weight gain does not necessarily occur during menopause,” Kramer added. “If your weight is normal at the beginning, you can keep it. If you really gain weight, it will go directly to the abdomen, which is not good for the heart.”

“Rarely symptoms, such as brain fog, are usually not as disturbing as changes in cycle and weight,” Ross said. “Please feel free to discuss all symptoms with your gynecologist. That’s our purpose here. We will focus on the pros and cons of treating your specific symptoms.”

Kramer urged women to have this kind of dialogue with doctors often and as soon as possible.

“There is no panacea. The treatment is very personal,” she said. “Discuss the symptoms you want to treat with your doctor. You may not want to treat some of these symptoms.

“At this stage, women’s biggest concerns-weight gain, vaginal dryness-happen to a large number of people. They want to know how their sex life will be affected? How will their bodies change?”

Kramer himself is in perimenopause. She was surprised. For her, hot flashes were not as serious as night sweats. Causes of night sweats include hot showers or baths, a glass of wine, and stress.

Kramer and Rose each emphasized that more research needs to be done at this stage of female life.

“Women are surprised that we don’t have many answers,” Kramer said. “It’s really important to see your primary care doctor every year to make sure your symptoms are nothing else.”