Menopause and How It Affects All Aspects of Our Lives

Signifying that your menstruation has stopped for an entire year, menopause is a period that usually happens in your 40s or 50s. And even though this is an entirely natural part of life, every woman can experience it in an entirely different way, with her own, unique experiences. However, there are still some side effects of menopause that many women experience, which can affect all aspects of our lives in new, unexpected ways.

The menstrual cycle and reproductive system

Our ovarian functions start to decline during the period leading up to menopause, leading to irregular ovulation and missed periods. Once we enter menopause, the periods eventually stop altogether. The ovaries stop ovulating entirely, and we are no longer able to get pregnant and carry a child, which can affect women psychologically and physically.

However, menopause can also have other, lesser-known effects on our reproductive system. Many women have reported experiencing a lack of libido and vaginal dryness during menopause, leaving them unable to continue practicing their intimate life as usual. While lubricants might be of help when it comes to these reproductive issues, it would be wiser to consult a specialist if these menopause symptoms persist.

Hot flashes, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping

Being one of the most common side effects of menopause, hot flashes affect more than two-thirds of women. They manifest as a sudden feeling of intense warmth that can last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Night sweats are directly linked to hot flashes, although they usually appear during sleep.

But not only are these side effects uncomfortable and difficult to control, but they can also lead to poor quality sleep or a lack of sleep, subsequently affecting all areas of your life. Unfortunately, the only way to manage these issues is to treat them directly, with fans, cold washcloths, lightweight clothes, and a cooler environment.

Common mood swings and mental health effects

Due to the naturally fluctuating hormone levels that occur during menopause, many women tend to experience frequent mood swings in this period. And even though menopause is generally linked with irritability, the moods can actually fluctuate anywhere from happiness to depression, ultimately taking a significant toll on the mental health of menopausal women.

Thankfully, this could be one of the easiest issues to treat. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it might be a good idea to consider taking menopause supplements filled with probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients, which will not only help with frequent mood swings but also hot flashes, night sweats, and weight gain.

Changes regarding physical appearance

Another side effect of hormonal changes; weight gain, is something a large percentage of women experience during menopause. But instead of drastically gaining weight throughout the entire body, weight gain in menopause often happens gradually on the midsection and stomach areas. This could be due to the fact that our body retains fat more easily during menopause, while distributing it in a different way.

But although weight gain is a well-known side effect, not many women know that menopause can affect their hair and skin as well. Your skin and hair can get dryer and thinner during menopause, leading to less elasticity and a loss of that youthful glow. While this will commonly happen slightly and slowly if you notice more intense thinning of skin and hair, talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy.

New forms of pain in unexpected areas

As they move into menopause, a significant number of women tend to experience aches and pains that weren’t there before. For instance, a small percentage of women could experience chronic migraines, while over half of women report feeling joint and muscle pain for the first time.

Fortunately, a simple way to combat joint and muscle pain would be to opt for an anti-inflammatory diet to alleviate the uncomfortable side effects and maintain optimal health. However, if the pain becomes unmanageable, a doctor’s estrogen prescription might be the only solution.

Menopause can affect our lives in several different ways, some predictable and others entirely unexpected, but they can all be managed with a few simple lifestyle changes.