Going through menopause comes with a variety of symptoms that can make life difficult for many women. You get to deal with a variety of issues that include, amongst others, hot flashes, mood swings, and weight gain for no apparent reason. Yet many of these symptoms tend to decline in intensity and severity once you reach postmenopause. Perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are all distinct times in a woman's life. While all related, they each come with different symptoms and related hormone changes.
Perimenopause precedes menopause. While your sex hormone production may start declining and your menstrual cycle may become irregular during this time, your body may still produce viable eggs. In other words, you can still become pregnant during this time. But you may also start showing menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
There is no fixed age when a woman goes into perimenopause. Some women reach this stage while in their thirties. Others are in their forties. Perimenopause, in effect, refers to the beginning of your transition.
Menopause refers to when your body stops producing the hormones causing your period and you no longer have viable egg production. You reach menopause when your last period occurred twelve months ago. Once again, there is no fixed age for menopause. Some women reach menopause in their forties, others in their late fifties or older.
Postmenopause refers to the time after menopause. Once you have reached menopause, you are in postmenopause until the day you die. You no longer ovulate, or release eggs. Your menopausal symptoms may also become milder or simply go away. Being in postmenopause, however, increases your risk for certain health issues. Examples of these health issues include heart disease and osteoporosis.
Many women see postmenopause as a new lease on life. While young enough to enjoy life and experience new things, they no longer have to deal with a period and its associated symptoms. No mood swings, cramps, headaches, or PMS!
Furthermore, because your body no longer releases any eggs, you do not have to worry about the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy. You may also see a decline in your menopause symptoms, like hot flashes.
But there are certain risks too. This period may see an increase in your risk of certain health issues relating mostly to your body’s decreased hormone production.
In addition to factors like menopause, stress is a major cause of Hormonal Circuit imbalances. Because of stress, your body’s automatic stress response system, the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response, kicks in to help your body cope. This results in a series of changes affecting every organ system in your body as well as your hormone production. An increase in stress hormones, for example, leads to a corresponding decline in your body’s production of other hormones. But things turn to normal once the stress passes.
When stress persists, this automatic reversal to normality does not take place. As a result, you may experience a hormone imbalance, just like you do when in postmenopause. A variety of symptoms are associated with this hormone imbalance, including sleep issues, metabolic issues like weight gain, and even hunger pangs although you ate an hour or so ago. The latter is due to your brain’s hunger and satiety signals affected by hormone imbalances.
During postmenopause, your body may not naturally produce enough of the hormones needed to maintain your hormone balance. This means your risk of various health issues may increase.
Although in you are in postmenopause, many of the menopause symptoms may linger for a while. The symptoms are usually less intense and may disappear over time. These symptoms usually result from low sex hormone levels. Symptoms that may linger include:
If any of these symptoms intensify, please talk to your healthcare practitioner because they may result from an underlying condition. Also, if you are in postmenopause and vaginal bleeding occurs, it may indicate a condition such as uterine fibroids, endometrial hyperplasia, endometritis, or even cancer. If vaginal bleeding occurs, please contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible for an evaluation. Do note, however, that light bleeding or spotting is not uncommon after sex in postmenopause. It may result from vaginal dryness.
Many women, once reaching the postmenopause stage of life, experience a resurgence of energy. They may feel on top of the world and look forward to a more carefree time in their lives. But you do need to take note of the possible health issues that may arise as well.
Estrogen plays a key role in bone health. It regulates new bone formation, bone maturation, and bone resorption (the breaking down of old, weak bone).
Due to estrogen production declining with postmenopause, many women see a decline in bone mass. This increases their risk of osteoporosis, a condition that causes weak, brittle bones. The condition increases your susceptibility to bone fractures, especially of the wrists, hips, and spine.
During postmenopause, women could lose up to two percent of their bone mass per year. To find out your risk, consider bone mineral density testing. This test, also referred to as bone densitometry, finds out how much calcium you have in your bones and is used to assess your osteoporosis risk.
Although postmenopause does not cause heart disease, it may increase your risk. Estrogen has a beneficial effect on your inner arterial wall layer, thus helping with blood flow regulation. Therefore, it helps protect you from cardiovascular conditions like stroke or heart attacks. Furthermore, many postmenopausal women lead a more sedentary lifestyle and, besides experiencing a decline in estrogen levels, also experience an increase in blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. These increase your heart disease risk.
Many women in postmenopause experience anxiety, moodiness, or depression. While you could potentially ascribe these to hormone changes, they could also result from life issues, stress, or sexual tension that often occurs during this period of one’s life. Many women also feel sad because of a loss of their reproductive ability. If you experience any mental health issues during this time, talk to your healthcare provider or consider talking to a therapist. They may be able to help.
Lower estrogen levels may cause a thinning of your urethra lining in postmenopause. At the same time, you may experience a weakening in the pelvic muscles around your urethra, either due to aging or vaginal birth. These may increase your risk of urogynecology issues that include urinary tract infections and incontinence. Your healthcare practitioner can help you deal with these issues.
Some women also experience vaginal dryness due to the tissue in the vagina thinning and deteriorating. Vaginal lubricants may ease discomfort caused by sex. Vaginal dryness may also increase your urinary tract infection risk. These vaginal changes are referred to as vaginal atrophy.
Hormone imbalance or lower estrogen levels, a common occurrence during postmenopause, may influence your metabolic rate. This means that, instead of burning fat, your body may store it. Besides postmenopause, a decrease in physical activity may also be to blame.
Fortunately, you can do much to address the symptoms of postmenopause as well as its health risks.
The conventional approach to dealing with menopausal issues, HRT, may address your symptoms but it also has several risks involved. HRT, either using only estrogen or with progesterone, may relieve such symptoms as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and night sweats. It may also help address bone loss.
However, HRT only using estrogen may increase your risk of stroke, deep vein thrombosis, heart disease, and uterine cancer. Combined HRT, using both estrogen and progesterone, may increase your risk of stroke, breast cancer, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, and heart disease.
Instead, an integrated approach to dealing with postmenopause risks may have a beneficial outcome without the extra risks involved. It starts by making positive lifestyle choices. It's important to note that HRT we recommend is usually bioidentical hormone replacement, not using medications that are synthetic.
Exercise benefits you on various levels. It keeps you fit, improves heart health, helps you deal with stress, and may help with mental health issues. It may also reduce your osteoporosis risk.
A good goal is to strengthen your core muscles as you age. Good examples include walking, weight-bearing exercises, and yoga.
If incontinence poses a problem, you can also consider exercising to strengthen your pelvic muscles, such as Kegels. Without clenching any other muscles, squeeze your vaginal muscles about fifteen times in a row. Do not hold your breath when doing so. Once you become used to these exercises, try holding the squeeze for a few seconds at a time. You can do these exercises as frequently as you wish.
A healthy diet will provide your body with all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to function at full capacity. It can also promote heart health while providing your bones with the calcium they need. Certain foods are also a source of natural estrogen.
A healthy diet limits your sugar and caffeine intake and cuts out processed foods. It relies on lean red meat, poultry, and fowl as protein sources. Vegetarians and vegans can get their protein from vegetable sources like tofu and legumes. Milk products, reliable sources of calcium, have vegan substitutes too. Examples include kale, spinach, and collard greens. You should also include a large variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Certain vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts can also help your body regulate estrogen metabolism.
Exercise and diet play a significant role in mental health. However, staying connected with others also helps. This may mean making the time to visit with family or friends. You could also consider taking up a new hobby where you will meet new people or joining your church choir.
Different supplements have different benefits. Before going out and splurging on a wide variety of supplements in an effort to stay healthy, first talk to your healthcare provider. They are best able to determine a supplement’s suitability and dosage, taking your health history and possible interactions with other medications you are currently taking into account. That said, these supplements may help:
Your body uses calcium to help build and maintain bones. But your muscles, heart, and nerves also rely on calcium to function properly. Take enough for the bones, but don't overdo it as you could cause calcium plaque in your blood vessels if taken in high doses. It's important to combine the use of other minerals like magnesium, strontium, boron, and other vitamins when building bone, and not only take calcium.
You can get your daily vitamin D requirements from the sun. However, in some climates and in the winter, a supplement may be required. Always take a vitamin D supplement if taking a calcium supplement. This is because vitamin D regulates your body’s calcium and phosphate absorption. The vitamin also plays a role in regulating inflammation and immune function, may help improve mood while reducing the symptoms of depression, and help with weight management. These symptoms often occur during postmenopause.
Vitamin C, also referred to as ascorbic acid, plays a role in the growth, development, and repair of body tissue. Involved in many body functions, the vitamin plays a role in maintaining cartilage, tooth, and bone integrity while helping with collagen formation and iron absorption. It also supports immune system function.
Probiotics may help address metabolic issues resulting from postmenopausal hormone imbalances. Hormonal imbalances may cause issues with your gut microbiome. By addressing this issue, you may see an improvement in bowel function. Probiotics may also promote hormone health and weight loss.
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-depressant, and antitumor properties. It may also promote brain and cardiovascular health.
Your body naturally produces CoQ10, an antioxidant that helps with energy conversion. Unfortunately, production declines with age. A CoQ10 supplement may help with numerous menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and depression. It also promotes cardiovascular health.
Ashwagandha provides adrenal support and addresses many symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue and menopause. These include hot flashes and mood swings. An adaptogenic herb, ashwagandha may help stabilize hormone levels as well.
While many women are sad when reaching postmenopause, seeing it as the end of their reproductive life, others regard it as something to celebrate. And there are many positive aspects to being in this stage of your life. You either see a decline or complete stop to menopausal symptoms, while your energy levels may increase. This could be the start of a new phase in your life as your energy levels perk up.
If you would like to know more about strategies to deal with hormone imbalances and how to reduce the risks of postmenopause, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss any issues you may have. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
Empower Postmenopause Wellness with LipoNano Curcutrol
Some women do get hot flashes when reaching the postmenopause years. The intensity and severity decrease over time, however. If they persist for more than two years, please talk to your healthcare provider. Ongoing hot flashes could indicate another underlying condition.
