Menopause: Climacteric Phase in Women’s Life

The phase in the life of a woman when monthly periods or menses permanently cease to appear and she is no longer able to bear children is known as menopause. To be more specific in the language of medical professionals, when a woman has not had any menstrual bleeding for a year, it is known as menopause.

A decrease in hormone production by ovaries also contributes to menopause. In the case of women who had undergone surgery for removal of the uterus but still have their ovaries shall be considered to have attained menopause at the time of surgery or when their hormone levels fell.

The general age for menopause in a woman’s life is between 49 to 52 years. Symptoms of menopause appear typically earlier after surgical removal of uterus nearly at an average age of 45 years.

Menopause is never an over-night process. The body of a woman prepares for menopause gradually and may take a few months to years. Complete cessation of bleeding due to periods or menstrual cycle is necessary for 12 months in a woman to finally mark the menopause point. Let us look at some of the symptoms a woman may experience during the phase of menopause:

                                                          

·        Hot Flushes and Night Sweats

Around 75% of women during menopause experience hot flushes. Rising redness on chest, neck, and face making a woman feel overheated and sweaty are generally regarded as hot flushes. Night sweats can be regarded as hot flushes at night which can compel the woman to wake up during sleep and make her feel unpleasant.

·        Irregular Periods

As hormone production from ovaries decreases during the phase of menopause, the periods also become irregular before they finally cease completely for 12 months. Sometimes, during irregular periods, PMS can be experienced by a woman without having menstrual bleeding.

·        Mood Swings and Headaches 

27% of menopausal women can feel mood swings that can be an extreme version of the symptoms of PMS.
Women who experienced headaches during periods are more likely to experience headaches in severe form during their menopausal phase.

·        Irritability and Depression

As hormones fluctuate during the menopausal phase, women can have feelings of sadness and irritability. In extreme changes in emotion, a woman can suffer from depression.
Women during the menopausal phase are more likely to be affected by depression as compared to women below the age of 45 years.

·        Vaginal Dryness and Decreased Libido

Lubrication is maintained by the level of the hormone estrogen. A drop in estrogen level leads to vaginal dryness. A drop in estrogen level and pain during intercourse due to vaginal dryness is also responsible for decreased sexual desire in women.

·        Soreness in Breasts

Breast soreness is a symptom during menstruation and pregnancy due to changes in hormones. Similar soreness can be seen in breasts during menopause due to changes in hormones.

·        Burning Mouth Syndrome and Gum Problems

Decreased levels of saliva during menopause can lead to a hot sensation that affects the tongue, lips, cheeks, and roof of the mouth. This is known as Burning Mouth Syndrome.
10 to 40 percent of women in the menopausal phase have gum problems with metallic taste in the mouth.

·        Electric Shocks and Tingling in Extremities

Due to erratic changes going on in the body of women in the menopausal phase, she may experience a sensation of electric shocks, especially before the hot flushes.
A tingling sensation can appear in any part of the body but especially occur in feet, hands, arms, and legs.

·        Joint Pain and Osteoporosis

Women develop musculoskeletal problems during menopause. All joint pains are not arthritis.
Since bone density drops by up to 20% after menopause, the risk of developing osteoporosis also increases.

·        Muscle Tightness and Fatigue

Stress and anxiety result in a presentation of muscle tension or tightness during menopause. A feeling of extreme tiredness or fatigue is also present in women of the menopausal phase.

·        Bloating and Weight Gain

One of the first symptoms as a woman steps into pre-menopausal phase or after menopause can be bloating.
Changes in hormonal balance during menopause is responsible for weight gain during just before menopause or after menopause.

·        Difficulty in Concentration and Lapses in Memory

A lower level of estrogen hormone leads to a decrease in the conversion of glucose into the energy which makes it difficult for the brain to concentrate.
Temporary memory lapses may be common in women of menopausal age.

·        Dizzy Spells and Irregular Heartbeat

A drop in estrogen production can be responsible for vertigo and dizziness during the menopausal phase. A fall in estrogen also over-stimulates the nervous system and circulatory system which in turn leads to palpitations and irregular heartbeat.

·        Allergies and Body Odour

Change in hormones during menopause can lead to the appearance of new allergies or the reappearance of previously treated allergies in a woman’s body.
Menopause can make you sweat more as well as changes the natural odor or scent of your body and can make you suffer from bad body odor.

·        Anxiety and Panic Disorders

Menopausal women can notice an increased feeling of anxiety which may or may not be attributed to any other visible reason.
There may be increased panic on situations which she usually handled well previously.

·        Stress Incontinence

Similar to what many women experience after childbirth, women during and after menopause can experience stress incontinence or involuntary urination in an increased frequency.

·        Hair Fall and Brittle Nails

People may have thinner and lesser hair due to age but menopause in women speeds the process of hair fall and hair thinning.
Dehydration and a drop in estrogen levels can make your nails brittle and cause them to break easily.

·        Disruption in Digestion

Digestive problem is one of the first to occur due to changes in the body including during hormonal changes in menopause. This can cause bloating, indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea, pain, and cramps.

·        Disturbance in Sleep

Disrupted sleep and insomnia can develop due to change in hormones during the menopausal phase which can lead to tiredness, problems in digestion, and weak immunity.

·        Itchiness in Skin

Lower estrogen levels are responsible for lower levels of collagen which, in turn, make the skin thin, dry, and itchy.

The complex case taking in homeopathy ensures that the homeopathic doctor addresses the past medical history of a woman in the menopausal phase so that an appropriate remedy can be given. Accurate and individualized homeopathic medicines can help a woman pass the phase of menopause with much lesser difficulties as properly chosen remedies can address each and every symptom of menopause. Consult Kaila Homeopathy for homeopathic treatment for menopause.

A healthy woman is indeed the foundation of a healthy family. She shall be in the best of her age throughout her life!

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