For 40 to 50 years, women often associate being a woman with a monthly menstrual cycle. Then, it all begins to shift. Your periods become less predictable, and you find yourself more irritable and less able to sleep. You might even feel like you can’t trust your body or you don’t know yourself anymore. Menopause can feel unsettling, which is why it’s important to stay informed about the stages and what to expect.
Perimenopause Comes First
Many women don’t realize that often long before menopause officially begins, you can experience a wide range of menopausal symptoms. This period, called perimenopause, is sometimes short, but it typically lasts around six or seven years and often much longer. During this time, you may begin to experience the classic signs like hot flashes, irritability, anxiety, and sleeplessness. These changes are due to the drop in estrogen levels and are often connected.
After all, if you’re hot, it can be hard to sleep, and if you lack quality sleep, you’re more likely to be irritable and/or anxious. You can help these symptoms, which may last through the duration of menopause. Try sleeping with a fan on or with the air conditioning running to keep you cool at night. Also, make sure you get early morning sun exposure to trigger your body’s circadian rhythms to sleep at night.
Other symptoms are not as frequently discussed, like vaginal dryness, discomfort during sex, and skin conditions. These issues are also connected to a drop in estrogen levels and can be treated as well. Consider using a vaginal moisturizer. Also, drink plenty of water and eat foods like avocados, sweet potatoes, and fatty fish like sardines. These items can improve blood circulation and aid lubrication.
The Stages of Menopause Can Begin Early
Far too many women today are still often ignored or dismissed in doctor’s offices for their medical concerns. Medical professionals will shrug women’s symptoms off as “part of womanhood” and something to simply be taken in stride. Fortunately, more and more experts are recognizing that women’s health concerns are pressing. Furthermore, treating them can improve long-term health and quality of life.
Usually, perimenopause begins when a woman is in her 40s, but symptoms can show up as early as a woman’s 30s. This shift can be gradual and may be shrugged off as too early to be menopause. The signs may be undetectable by a standard check-up with your doctor. They can include issues like irregular periods, hot flashes, fatigue, sleeplessness, thinning hair, and brain fog. Most women won’t experience all of these symptoms at once.
Menopause and Postmenopause
Menopause begins when your period officially stops. You may still experience some of the symptoms of perimenopause, but once you’ve gone one full year without a period, you enter postmenopause, and many of the symptoms should decrease and finally stop.
To increase estrogen levels and restore hormonal balance, many women will begin hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. HRT may help alleviate symptoms of menopause.
Lifestyle Changes Can Go a Long Way
HRT is not your only option when it comes to easing your way through the stages of menopause. Indeed, women from different parts of the world experience little to no symptoms at all. Japanese women have much lower rates of hot flashes and night sweats. They also have a greater life expectancy than women around the world. So, it’s worth looking at what these women do differently.
Scientists can’t seem to agree on what exactly the magic is for Japanese women. The truth is that it’s probably a combination of factors like a healthy diet and ample exercise. The standard Japanese diet is low in junk food and unhealthy fats, and Japanese people walk a lot. They also have access to universal healthcare. While you can’t change the U.S. systems singlehandedly, you can change your lifestyle.
Commit to walking more every day, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and cutting out junk food. Specifically, you can integrate Omega-3-rich foods such as fish, nuts, and seeds. Soy can help balance estrogen levels, and seaweed contains iodine, which can combat fatigue and weight gain. These lifestyle changes alone can also help prevent heart disease and osteoporosis.
There are many steps you can take to ease your way through the stages of menopause. But it all begins with understanding your body and recognizing what it’s going through. Then, start small with a change or two, and give yourself grace along the way. All women’s bodies are different, each body is unique, and so too will your menopause experience be. Take your time, try different approaches, and stick with what works for you.