A stage comes in every woman’s life when her menstrual cycle ceases. Now, she can’t have babies. This stage is called as menopause. This is the last stage of the female biological process. The secretion of female sex hormones, viz; estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries decline and there starts a new phase of life.
On an average, the onset of menopause takes place at 50 years of age. But, this varies in women. If you’re a smoker, you’re likely to reach this biological phase earlier in your life. The decrease in hormone production starts some 3-5 years BEFORE the actual menopause. This phase is known as perimenopause or climacteric. Scientists have only yet started to understand this biological process and what happens beyond this stage.
A woman who hasn’t had any periods for 12 months can be said to have entered her menopause.
Menopause Signs
• Missed periods for 12 months
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Night sweats
• Hot flashes
• Palpitations
• Sleep problems
• Dryness in the vagina
• Changes in urinary habits
• Depression
Menopause Effects
When you enter menopause, you become more prone to osteoporosis as well as cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, you need to take extra care of your body in this phase of life.
Due to the steep decline in the levels of estrogen in your body, you are likely to lose around 3-5 percent of your bone mass every year. This may continue for about 10 years, thus, depleting 30 percent of your total bone density during menopause. This leads to postmenopausal osteoporosis marked by thin and weak bones. Such bones can get fractured even by a gentle fall.
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death among menopausal women. Unfortunately, it’s the least recognized too. As you reach the age of 65 or 70, you begin to sail in the same high-risk boat as men in terms of heart disease. This, again, is due to the decreased estrogen level in your body.
This is not all. The tissues in your lower urinary tract as well as vagina become drier and thinner. This makes sexual intercourse painful for you at this age. Besides, you become more prone to urinary tract infections. Again, the decline in estrogen levels is to be blamed here!
Menopause Care
At this stage of life, you need to talk to your doctor or nutritionist for a proper diet and workout regime. You have passed through all the biological processes in your life, produced kids, have had a great 50 years of life, and now just want to sit back and relax. This doesn’t mean that you can ignore your body. In fact, you would need to take care of it more than ever. Those fragile bones, dry vagina, and coronary risks – all these need to be handled well through a proper course of action. And remember, there are psychological effects attached with menopause too, as has been mentioned in signs.
The following tips will help you sail smoothly through this biological phase:
• Eat a healthy diet
• Remain as active as you can
• Take less alcohol and caffeine
• Quit smoking
• Include lots of calcium (1500 mg daily) in your diet for strong bones
• Soak in sunlight to let your skin synthesize vitamin D (800 IUs is required daily).
You can also resort to taking supplements for decreasing the severity of menopause symptoms, enhancing your HDL levels, and increasing your bone density. Consult your doctor for this. Many women opt for hormone replacement therapy.
So, get ready to welcome menopause with a smile. There’s one good reason to do so – you’re free from menstrual cramps, at last!