Just like periods, menopause is one of the crucial phases of a woman’s life. Some women may experience early menopause, and some may experience late. Menopause can be uncomfortable and make you feel uneasy due to hormonal changes in the body. However, it’s essential for every woman to know about menopause, its symptoms, and its causes. Here in this blog, we will shed light on menopause, its symptoms, and causes so that you can better deal with your body and take care of it during this critical time.

Without much ado, let’s start from scratch.

What is menopause?

As the name suggests, menopause marks the end of women’s menstrual cycles. Basically, it happens when a woman hasn’t menstruated in 12 consecutive months and can no longer become pregnant naturally. The phase usually begins between the age of 45 and 55 but can also develop before or after the set age range. Menopause is a natural biological process or a part of the female body. According to a study, about 1 per cent of menopause in women begins before the age of 40, which is known as premature menopause or primary ovarian inefficiency. And about 5 per cent of women undergo menopause between the ages of 45 and 50, known as early menopause.

Major symptoms

There are many common changes that occur in women’s body that leads to menopause; these symptoms include:

1.Change in periods: Your periods won’t be regular anymore as they may be shorter or last longer. In fact, you might bleed more or less than usual. So, you will notice irregular periods before menopause.

2. Bladder control: You might notice a sudden urge to urinate or may leak during exercise, laughing, or sneezing. This bladder control loss is called incontinence.

3. No easy sleep:Some women will start having trouble getting a goodnight’s sleep. You might not fall asleep quickly, or you may wake up early. You will have trouble sleeping.

4. Mood swings: Yes, just like mood changes during periods, you will also feel moodier or irritable at the time of menopause. It might happen due to stress, depression, etc.

5. Vaginal health: After menopause, the vagina may become drier, making sexual intercourse a little uncomfortable for you. In fact, your feeling for sex might change as well.

Causes of menopause

There are many causes due to which menopause happens; these include:

1.Natural declination of reproductive hormones:As you reach your late 30s, your ovary starts producing less oestrogen and progesterone. So, the hormones that regulate menstruation start declining.

2.Ovarian inefficiency:As aforementioned, about 1% of women get to experience menopause before the age of 40. So, premature menopause may result due to ovarian inefficiency.

3.Surgery that skims ovaries:Ovaries that regulate the menstrual cycle, if they get removed, can immediately cause menopause. Your periods will stop, and you may experience hot flashes.

If you’re in your 30s or 40s and want to consult with a doctor concerning menopause or issues related to menstrual irregularities, Atrium Hospital is here to serve. We have a team of specialised doctors and gynaecologists who will listen to your queries and diagnose you with possible treatments.