How to Manage Menopausal Symptoms

The stages of a woman’s life begin with menstruation and end with menopause. These stages involve hormonal changes that tamper with her body structure and majorly her mood. This fact is backed by medical records that state that a woman becomes an aggressive version of herself during her menstruation days and a few years into her menopausal stage. These hormonal changes come with slight discomfort like cramps during menstruation and skin piercing sensations in older women who are on their way to menopause. Do not be in a hurry to conclude that women’s life cycle is filled with complications and frustrations because this article has provided ways in which these frustrations and complications can be managed. In order to better understand the female life stages, this article would give a precise breakdown of these stages.

Stages of Women’s Lives

Puberty

Just like the other gender, a female’s journey begins with puberty. Usually, this stage marks the beginning of hormonal changes in every woman. This puberty is what leads to their reproductive and sexual maturity. Towards the end of this stage is when menstruation sets in.

Menstruation

At this stage, a female’s body is sexually matured with established production of eggs. At this stage, fertilized eggs lead to pregnancy. Averagely, this stage lasts for about 35 to 40 years of a woman’s life.

Pregnancy

This is the stage when the egg is finally fertilized, and the growth of a fetus begins. Immediately after pregnancy, menstruation starts again until the menopausal stage, when menstruation finally stops.

Perimenopause Stage

This stage is usually 4 to 5 years before menstruation finally stops. It is at this stage that menopausal symptoms begin to set in. The right amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries begins to reduce during this period.

Menopause Stage

After a few years of discomfort and tiring symptoms, menstruation becomes irregular and finally ends. This means the ovaries stop releasing eggs at this stage. The final end of menstruation is what is called menopause. The average menopause age among women is 45 to 55, depending on the individual’s body system. In simpler terms, menopause is a stage when a woman misses her period for 12 consecutive months.

Symptoms

Premenopausal Symptoms

This stage is usually not very significant because there are little or no changes in the regularity of periods. The ovaries continue to produce estrogen the usual way it does. However, in some women, few changes have occurred, and they include

• Constant cramps
• Mood swings
• Bloating
• Very tender breasts
• Irritability

Perimenopause Stage and Menopausal Symptoms

• Night sweats: Half of the women in the menopause stage experience sudden uncomfortable body heats that last for about 5 to 10 minutes. The excessive body heat begins in the scalp, neck, chest, and face. This symptom can last for up to a year.
• Dry vagina: During perimenopause, the dropping levels of estrogen can make the tissues in the vagina become dry and thin. This dryness causes itch and irritation in most women and can lead to pain during intercourse. This is one of the reasons women at this stage show little or no interest in sex.
• Difficulty in sleeping: Due to the constant night sweats episodes, women at this stage tend to have disturbed night sleep.
• Mood swings: About 20 to 30% of women experience mood swings during perimenopause. The hormonal changes at this stage make some women feel anxious and irritable, and truculent.
• Memory problems: Most women complain of short-term memory and constant forgetfulness, while others complain of the inability to concentrate for a long time.
• Irregular periods: Women begin to experience irregular periods at this stage. Some women stay for two whole months without seeing their period, while others see theirs for two straight weeks, non-stop.
• Loosened bladder: Some women complain of almost urinating themselves immediately; they feel the urge to urinate. Also, this urge to urinate comes frequently.
• Lower interest in sex: The pain from vagina dryness causes most women at the perimenopausal stage to lose interest in sex.
• Constant fatigue and laziness
• Decreased fertility: As menstruation becomes irregular and estrogen levels begin to drop, the possibility of conceiving reduces. Fortunately, this does not mean you cannot get pregnant at this stage; it is just that your chances of taking in at this stage are very low.
• Weak bones: The lower your estrogen levels drop, the higher your risks of suffering from osteoporosis. This is because the decline in the estrogen levels would make you lose more bone strength than you gain. This is why calcium is very important at this stage.
• Changes in cholesterol levels.

Early Menopause

This is a general stage in a woman’s life; however, some women experience it earlier than normal due to some factors. Some women reach their menopause age before the average age of 45 years. Records hold that most women encounter menopausal symptoms in their mid and early 30s. Some factors have been identified to be the cause of early menopause.

Risk Factors of Early Menopause

• Smoking: Women who smoke experience menopause earlier than women who do not.
• Family history: Women who come from families where the occurrence of early menopause is high may experience early menopause.
• Cancer; Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can cause early menopause in some women.

Menopausal Symptoms Management

• Avoid heat triggers by reducing your intake of hot foods. Also, avoid hot environments. Wear light and free dresses to allow enough air throughout your body.
• For hormonal irregularities, try using some birth controls. The record holds that taking a low dose of some birth control pills can help stabilize irregular periods and control extreme hormonal imbalances.
• For vaginal dryness, low dose birth control pill can also help.
• Drink cold liquids when you experience excessive heat and hot flashes.
• Always keep fans around you in case you feel that sudden heat.

Home Remedies for Symptoms

• Use vaginal lubricants whenever you experience dryness in your vagina. Make sure to get vaginal lubricants that do not contain glycerin. Glycerin contents in vaginal lubricants can cause a burning sensation and irritation in your vagina.
• Continue your sexual activities. Sexual activeness has been identified to increase the flow of blood to the vagina area.
• Maintain a healthy diet. Eating the right food, especially foods that contain calcium, is very important. It helps prevent you from suffering from illnesses associated with menopause and old age, especially osteoporosis.
• Eat foods that contain low fat.
• Add plenty of fruits, fiber, and vegetables to your diet.
• Take calcium and Vitamin D supplements.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking. These can contribute to the hot flashes and sudden excess body heat you feel.
• Engage in regular physical activities. It keeps you active and healthy, improves your mood, and helps you fight overweight.
• Try to always get enough sleep. Avoid caffeinated drinks; they can keep you awake for so long, such that you find it difficult to sleep.
• Reduce stress. Relax more.

These management tips can help relieve the symptoms of your transition to menopause. Following these tips would reduce your chances of encountering harsh menopausal symptoms, thereby making your transition less stressful.

A woman’s life stages begin when she sees her first menstrual cycle until her menstruation stops. The typical age at which women start to experience these symptoms is between the age of 45 and 55. The stage in which these symptoms begin to occur and the surface is called the perimenopause stage. Most women complain of discomfort during this period. This is why a group of individuals came up with tips on the management of these symptoms. These management tips help relieve the harsh symptoms connected to menopause. And this is a normal stage in a woman’s life, so you do not need to worry about yourself if you experience these symptoms.

For every symptom, an effective remedy has been suggested. The hot flashes symptoms require taking more cold liquids than hot ones, while the vaginal dryness requires you to use non-glycerin vaginal lubricants. Above all, sexual activeness, physical activities, and personal hygiene are the fundamental and most important tips.

Finally, eating well and eating healthy also contribute to the alleviation and prevention of these symptoms. Calcium and Vitamin D rich foods should dominate your diet plan. Transitioning into menopause can come with quite a lot of stress, especially the hormonal fluctuations, but notwithstanding, proper management of these symptoms would give you a comfortable and stress-free transition.