You’re noticing some changes that are seemingly unrelated — perhaps you’re experiencing some brain fog alongside vaginal dryness. Or your periods have become erratic and you’re also experiencing hot flashes and night sweats.
When you connect the dots, these developments are likely signs that your body is getting to join those of the 2 million American women who enter menopause each year in the United States.
To paint a clearer picture, the team at Kinwest OBGYN, under the direction of Dr. Jose F. De Leon, is using this month’s blog to outline some of the more common signs that your body is heading toward menopause.
A great way to think about menopause is as a bookend to a woman’s reproductive stage, which kicks off after puberty.
Just as puberty didn’t happen overnight, neither does the end of your reproductive years, which officially occurs once you transition through menopause. Missing your periods for 12 months in a row effectively signals the end of ovulation. The average age a woman passes through menopause is about 50-51.
During the lead-up to menopause, women go through a period called perimenopause, which typically occurs in your 40s and 50s. This precursor to menopause can act as a preview of the potential side effects that are associated with menopause and the loss of reproductive hormones.
Bear in mind that no two women experience the same exact journey and that menopause symptoms can vary greatly from one woman to the next, both in terms of severity and number.
Nevertheless, some perimenopausal symptoms are more common than others and include:
As you approach menopause, it’s perfectly normal to experience changes in your periods. Many women’s cycles become more erratic, and you might skip periods entirely. Some women experience lighter periods, while others experience heavier-then-normal periods.
No matter the changes, if your periods and menstrual cycles start to become erratic, it’s a sure sign that your ovaries are starting to shut down.
One of the first signs of the estrogen loss that occurs before, during, and after menopause are hot flashes and night sweats, which affect about 80% of women. These sudden changes in body heat can occur both day and night, and they can be uncomfortable and disruptive.
Your estrogen hormones make sure that your vaginal tissues are healthy for intercourse and childbirth. When these hormones start to wane, you can experience vaginal dryness, which affects about half of women making the menopausal transition.
Many women experience brain fog during perimenopause — for example, it might be more difficult to focus or you might lose words more easily.
Research is ongoing regarding the impact that estrogen has on your brain, but there’s little doubt that there is one. This is because many women experience changes in mood, and not for the better. More specifically, depression and anxiety during perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are quite common.
There are many other side effects that you might start to experience before your transition through menopause, but these are the most prevalent and noticeable.
The good news is that we do have solutions that can help you weather this transition with fewer disruptions, including hormone therapies and medications that tackle specific side effects, such as hot flashes.
The first step you should take is to sit down with us. We can review your symptoms and arrange for hormone testing to measure the levels of your reproductive hormones before we create a personalized treatment plan.
To set that in motion, please contact Kinwest OBGYN in Dallas, and Irving, Texas, today to schedule an appointment.
