What are the early symptoms of menopause and how can we deal with them?

WHAT ARE THE FIRST SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE AND HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH THEM?

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Menopause? Yes, you got that right! Today we take an in-depth look at this all-female topic.

Menopause is sometimes perceived and experienced by women as a negative change. However, one should not forget that this is an important and absolutely physiological moment that characterizes a woman’s life! To better understand the concept and understand how we can prepare ourselves to face this period with serenity, let’s get to the heart of the matter by going to see what menopause is and what are the major changes it entails.

Menopause: let’s get to know it better

Menopause is that condition in which the gradual decline in ovarian function, which usually begins during the fourth decade of life, eventually leads to the permanent cessation of the menstrual cycle. As the activity of the ovaries ceases, the amount of estrogen in the blood gradually decreases as well.This phenomenon can lead to certain ailments and symptoms at the physical level but, as we will see below, can also impact the emotional sphere! Please note: remember that estrogens are those hormones produced mostly by the ovaries that are involved in very important physiological functions, including regulating sexual maturation, maintaining secondary female characteristics (breast growth, hair distribution, stature, bone structure), regulating body fat distribution, regulating the menstrual cycle (thus also enabling fertilization and pregnancy), and maintaining bone health (protecting against osteoporosis).

When does it occur?

Usually menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and is diagnosed when menstruation has ceased for at least 12 months. However, there are some exceptions: in fact, we speak of “early” menopause when the phenomenon occurs before the age of 40 or, conversely, of “late” menopause if it occurs after the age of 55. The age of onset appears to be influenced by genetic factors. In particular, menopause may occur early in women smokers and in the case of surgery aimed at removing the ovaries during childbearing age.

What are the symptoms of menopause most frequent ?

As we have already seen, menopause involves major changes in female hormone function that can, in turn, result in a whole range of disorders. Estrogen deficiency, in particular, can cause early symptoms that occur as early as during the menopausal transition phase (the period of time before the end of menstrual cycles) and late symptoms that relate more purely to postmenopause. What are the “first symptoms” of menopause? The main symptoms that characterize the arrival of menopause include:

Vasomotor symptoms

These are the famous hot flashes and night sweats and are certainly among the most common symptoms that characterize menopause. Indeed, it appears that decreased estrogen levels may result in changes in the thermoregulation center, located in the hypothalamus, leading to the onset of hot flashes. What does a “flush” look like? There is generally an increase in skin temperature, blood flow and heart rate, resulting in a feeling of heat, reddening of the skin (especially in the face, head and neck) and intense sweating. Hot flashes can last from a few seconds to several minutes and also occur frequently at night: so-called “night sweats” are one of the major contributors to sleep disturbances associated with the menopausal period!

Psychosomatic symptoms

The arrival of menopause can also have effects on the psychological sphere. In particular, this delicate phase of a woman’s life can be accompanied by mood disturbances, anxiety, irritability, fatigue , and decreased concentration: these symptoms are very often the direct consequences of sleep disturbances typical of menopause, which are in turn due to both hormonal changes and vasomotor symptoms (in particular, the aforementioned and very annoying phenomenon of night sweats).

Vaginal disorders

Estrogens play a very important role in maintaining the health of the vaginal environment: they help maintain pH at slightly acidic values, maintain tissue elasticity, and stimulate cervical secretions. What happens when estrogen production decreases? Vulvar and vaginal mucous membranes become thinner, drier, and less elastic, causing symptoms such as dryness and sometimes irritation and itching. In addition, estrogen deficiency causes an increase in vaginal pH: this results in increased susceptibility to infections of the genital and urinary systems!

Increased body weight

At this stage of life, women often report feeling “bloated” and having a tendency to gain weight. The hormonal changes that occur with the arrival of menopause actually result in a slowdown of basal metabolic rate with lower caloric expenditure and, consequently, weight gain and redistribution of body fat.

Increased risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis

The onset of menopause also has other long-term consequences. After menopause, in fact, the risk of going through cardiovascular disease progressively increases. This happens because estrogen, during a woman’s childbearing years, plays a protective role on the cardiovascular system! In contrast, their decrease with the arrival of menopause results in increased triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (commonly known as “bad cholesterol”) in the blood, and increased blood pressure. Therefore, menopause is considered a real cardiovascular risk factor! In addition, as mentioned above, estrogen helps to keep our bones healthy. Reduced estrogen levels result in demineralization ofbone, which becomes more fragile and more prone to fractures!

Given the symptoms of menopause-now let’s see how we can deal with them!

A premise should be made here: not all women experience this phase of life in the same way, and therefore the management of any symptoms should be approached subjectively and always seeking the advice of one’s gynecologist. What every woman can do, however, is to act on her own lifestyle to prevent the consequences (particularly the long-term ones!) of menopause and to be able to manage or alleviate certain symptoms. Nutritionally speaking (while keeping in mind that this is extremely subjective!) it is possible to follow some general healthy eating recommendations:

• Follow as varied adiet as possible to ensure proper intake of all the nutrients needed for the body to function.
• Encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, foods rich in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and other substances with antioxidant action. In particular, vitamins A, C and E are powerful antioxidants that work by counteracting the action of free radicals, helping to fight cellular aging and maintain healthy skin and hair!
• Give preference to the consumption of white meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit) over red meat; reduce the consumption of sausages, which are rich in salt and saturated fat; alternate the consumption of meat with that of fish, especially oily fish, an excellent source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, the latter being valuable allies in the prevention of cardiovascular disease!
• Moderate the consumption of sweets and limit added sugar.
• Minimize salt intake, paying attention to both added salt and existing salt in foods (meats, cheeses, canned goods, prepackaged foods…).

Specific tips to prevent osteoporosis:

• Consume calcium-rich foods such as milk and dairy products daily (if overweight, prefer part-skim milk, light cheese and low-fat yogurt).

Please note: drinking calcium-rich waters can also contribute greatly to the prevention of osteoporosis!

• Ensure a good intake of vitamin D, through diet (fatty fish and oily fish, liver, cereals) but also by regularly exposing oneself to sunlight, which enables the transformation of the vitamin D precursor into its active form!
• Regularly engage in physical activity, which not only helps maintain body weight but also exerts a positive effect on the prevention of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis!

Therefore, adopting a healthy lifestyle is one of the most effective approaches to be able to live as peacefully as possible a period that physiologically is part of a woman’s life!