“Am I menopausal?” “Is it really as hot as I feel it is, or am I experiencing menopause?” “Am I experiencing menopause symptoms?”
How many times do we hear such questions? Or even remark in the same way, especially during hot summer days? Truth is, this is a phase we women have to go through eventually, and so, it makes sense that the thought lingers through our minds, even earlier on in life.
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant in a natural way. Menopause is defined as 12 months without a menstrual bleed, in the absence of other conditions. As we age, our ovaries stop producing enough oestrogen and no longer release an egg every month. This usually happens when we are somewhere around 45 and 55 years of age, although about 1 out of 100 women experience early menopause, sometimes even in the late thirties. Prior to menopause, periods usually start being less frequent, usually within a time span varying between a few months to a few years, and eventually stop. This pre-menopause stage is also known as perimenopause. There have been cases, however, where periods stop abruptly.
Besides natural ageing, menopause can also be triggered by surgical procedures like ovary removal, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or underlying health conditions.
Menopause Symptoms
Many women experience various menopause symptoms, which at times can be quite severe. Certain women also find that these menopause symptoms impact quite drastically their way of living. The onset of menopause symptoms can start as early as months or even years before menopause and may last for up to 4 years after menopause, although there are women who keep experiencing menopause symptoms for much longer than that.
Common menopause symptoms include:
Hot flushes: a sudden rush of heat that comes from nowhere but spreads fast throughout the body.
Night sweats: excessive sweating during the night where you wake up with your bedsheets and nightwear soaking wet, irrespective of a cool environment.
Difficulty sleeping: finding it hard to sleep on a regular basis.
Bad moods: feeling sad and low, to the extent that you feel you cannot function as you normally do.
Anxiety: causes you to function differently physically, mentally and in the way you usually function.
Vaginal dryness: may cause you to feel itchy and sore, and may cause discomfort or pain during sex; may also cause recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Lack of libido: lack of desire for sex.
Lack of concentration and memory retention: finding it hard to concentrate as well as to remember things.
Available Treatments & Suggestions To Ease Menopause Symptoms
If you keep asking yourself, “Am I menopausal?” and you are experiencing menopause symptoms to a degree where you feel you are being limited from living life as you used to live before, the following may help reduce them…
HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) – HRT comes in the form of tablets, gels, implants and skin patches. It offers relief from menopause symptoms by replacing the lack of oestrogen experienced during the menopausal stage. Some HRT types may increase your risk of developing breast cancer. In most cases, the benefits of HRT are believed to outweigh the risks. However, speak to your GP, especially if you have any concerns about taking HRT or if you have a history of cancer in your family.
Vaginal Creams, Lubricants and Moisturisers – these help by providing topical oestrogen to target the issue of vaginal dryness.
Healthy Diet – consuming a healthy diet consisting of a variety of foods in the right proportions and amounts can help you maintain a healthy weight and improve some menopausal symptoms.
Regular Exercise – this helps in maintaining a healthy, strong body, which also helps improve menopause symptoms.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) – CBT is provided through counselling/therapy sessions which target low moods and anxiety, two common symptoms of menopause. Through CBT, a therapist can help you manage your problems by thinking and behaving in a different way.
Consult a GP or Gynaecologist
The diagnosis of perimenopause can usually be made through a woman’s medical history, her menstrual history, as well as her signs and symptoms.
If you keep asking yourself, “Am I menopausal?” and you are experiencing troubling menopause symptoms, or if you’re experiencing these symptoms before 45 years of age, it is best to consult a GP or Gynaecologist. Both can help confirm whether your symptoms are indeed menopause symptoms, and can also order a blood test to measure your hormone levels, especially if you are less than 45 years old. However, it is imperative to note that hormone levels change throughout a woman’s cycle, so this may not provide an accurate result without other possibilities taken into account.
Your family GP or the GP at your local health centre can guide you and, if necessary, refer you for a consultation within the Gynaecology clinic.
If your symptoms persist following prescribed treatments, or if you are unable to take HRT, your GP may also refer you to a menopause specialist.
To date, there is no simple accurate test to predict or confirm menopause or perimenopause, but research continues.
References:
NHS. 2018. Menopause. Accessed on 26th September 2020 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
The North American Menopause Society. 2020. How do I know I’m in menopause? Accessed on 26th September 2020 at https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/how-do-i-know-i%27m-in-menopause-
If you have an experience about menopause that you would like to share with us, contact us or email us at [email protected]
Claire Galea is a mum of three currently reading for a Degree in Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, as a mature student. She is keen about holistic patient-centered care as well as public education about health-related subjects, which she frequently writes about on Wham as a Content Writer and Website Editor.
Claire is also passionate about spreading awareness on the negative effects that domestic abuse leaves on its victims’ mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. She is the author of two downloadable ebooks, namely Heal Your Life Forever and 5 Simple Steps To Creating The Life Of Your Dreams.
Click here to check out Claire’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
