Symptoms of Menopause

About Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause is a natural stage in life…but that doesn’t mean that most women look forward to it. In fact, the period before, during, and after menopause is frequently marked by wild fluctuations in hormone levels that can result in debilitating symptoms. After menopause, in the period known as post-menopause, the symptoms of hormone balance decrease, but studies have shown that women typically experience a dramatic increase in the risk of diseases like heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer from the hormonal swings of the menopause transition or the increased disease risk without fighting back. Studies have shown that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women can alleviate the symptoms of menopause while reducing disease risk—all while restoring your hormone levels to the levels you enjoyed in your prime.
The key is to recognize and identify symptoms of hormone-related imbalance. Many women don’t realize that their hormones can start to fluctuate as early as age 35. Below are some of the most common symptoms of menopause-related hormone imbalance. If these sound familiar to you, it’s time to call your local Genemedics clinic and set up your evaluation and blood test to determine if relief is around the corner.

Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, affecting about 80% of women who are undergoing the transition into menopause. Fatigue can make this period more difficult by making women increasingly irritable. Women undergoing menopause may notice a significant decline in energy levels that can last all day or for short periods of time. Although fatigue is mostly caused by changes in the levels of a woman’s hormones, other menopause symptoms such as depression, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress may also lead to fatigue.

Weight Gain

Hormones are the center of the human metabolism. They play major role in fat burning and energy utilization. When hormones are imbalanced, it results in a disruption of the female metabolism, which often results in unexpected weight gain. Studies reveal that, on average, women aged between 35 and 55 gain approximately 12 to 15 pounds.
Increased body fat often affects a woman’s self-esteem and even her quality of life. More importantly, increased body fat is linked to many serious health problems such as:

Low Libido

Low libido refers to a lack of sexual desire and interest. Although hormonal changes during menopause is the major cause of low libido, other menopausal symptoms such as fatigue, vaginal dryness, and pain upon intercourse can also play a role in low libido. The main hormones that affect libido are progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. These hormones directly increase libido by increasing sensation and heightening sexual response and orgasm. They also assist in the production of vaginal lubrication and maintenance of healthy vaginal tissue. Deficiency in any of these three hormones results in low libido.

Memory Loss

Menopausal women often complain of memory loss and an inability to concentrate. This occurs when the levels of progesterone and estrogen start to gradually decline. Estrogen has many important roles in directly influencing memory and concentration. Estrogen activates various brain regions including the hippocampus (an area responsible for memory) and it also promotes increased blood flow to the brain. Other hormone imbalances such as adrenal fatigue and low thyroid (hypothyroidism) can also lead to memory problems.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure and blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and excess body fat around the waist. Having just one of these conditions doesn’t mean you have the disease. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of having diabetes and other heart problems. If more than one of these conditions occur, your risk is even greater. Studies show that MetS occurs in 40% of postmenopausal women. Other factors that can increase one’s risk for MetS are hormone imbalance, obesity, and race (Hispanics and Asians are at a greater risk). Menopause and hormone imbalance also increases insulin resistance, which increases the risk of diabetes. Studies have also shown that hormone imbalance has been associated with an unhealthy cholesterol profile and that normal level of certain hormones such as estrogen and thyroid can improve cholesterol levels.

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, are unpleasant symptoms that are experienced by 75-85% of women undergoing menopause. Symptoms of hot flashes can include feeling hot, sweating, rapid heart rate, redness of the face and neck, anxiety, headache, dizziness, or weakness. The duration, frequency and severity of hot flashes vary from woman to woman and can occur at any time of the day. Symptoms may be minimal if there is a gradual decline in the levels of estrogen, or they can be severe if there is an abrupt decline such as in surgical menopause.
Estrogen plays an important role in regulating body temperature. A decline in estrogen levels result in a loss of body temperature control, which tricks the body into feeling overheated, even though the body is at a normal temperature. Hot flashes are the result of your body trying to adapt to the false sense of being overheated. It is more common at night because the levels of estrogen are lowest at night. Hot flashes at night can lead to night sweats and can interfere with a woman’s sleep pattern.