Menopause is an obligatory transition for women, generally between the ages of 45 and 55. Several symptoms announce its arrival…
Menopause occurs in women between 45 and 55 years old most of the time. This period corresponds to the cessation of follicular activity in the ovaries and results in the disappearance of periods. As we age, the ovaries react less and less to messages from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Menopause is heralded by the increase in pituitary gonadotropins (FSH and LH) in the blood. “Ovarian secretions gradually dry up and periods stop. We almost never go from regular cycles to menopause overnight. Women go through a intermediate period perimenopause, which lasts on average 3 and a half to 4 years. This can be a very trying time in a woman’s life.” notes Dr Alain Tamborini, gynecologist. It exists several major signs which characterize the gradual onset of menopause.
Periods are becoming more and more irregular
Cycle disruption affects all women and is a harbinger of menopause. “A shorter cycle, longer cycleor periods that appear twice a month and then nothing for 3 months…“, illustrates the expert. The diagnosis of menopause is difficult to make because the boundaries with perimenopause are blurred and shifting. The closer we get to menopause, the longer the cycles become with periods without periods which can last up to several months. The duration and abundance of periods can also vary from one cycle to another. “There are often diagnoses made wrongly and too early because hormonal levels during this period go on a roller coaster and the duration of cycle disruption can be very long.“, he adds.
Hot flashes appear at night
The appearance of hot flashes begins well before menopause, from perimenopause (also called premenopause) and affects 3 out of 4 women.Their average duration is 7.5 years“, he warns. Hot flashes result in a feeling of intense heat affecting face, neck, thorax. It lasts from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and most often ends with cold sweats, more or less profuse, and are more often nocturnal. “Unpredictable and irrepressible, they can sometimes be triggered by stress, an emotion or a simple medical consultation.“
We gain a few pounds, especially around the stomach
Between the ages of 45 and 55, a period which frames the cessation of menstruation, the silhouette tends to become heavier at the waist, privileged place of extra kilos. Additionally, during premenopause, excess estrogen can lead to water retention and create a very unpleasant sensation of more or less permanent swelling. It is therefore a particularly opportune period to improve your lifestyle and eating habits and to have a minimum of physical exercise.
The desire to “do” diminishes
At menopause can occur alterations in mood and behavior, increased or attenuated by the quality of the marital, family and socio-professional environment. Fatigue and physical weariness often accompany the psychological disorders of menopause. “I often hear women say: “As soon as I wake up, I’m tired.”I don’t have a taste for anything anymore“, “I don’t want to do anything”, he emphasizes. Sometimes mood disorders can result in irritabilityeven aggressiveness.