What to Expect When You Go Through Menopause

As you reach menopause or the climacteric phase of your life, certain changes are bound to occur in your body. Proper knowledge and awareness of these changes or symptoms, helps you see this 'change of life' in a proper perspective and have a healthy menopause. Here is what you must know about menopause.

What is Menopause?

Menopause means, permanent stoppage of menstruation due to cessation of the ovarian function (resulting in low levels of oestrogen, the female hormone), at the end of reproductive life of a woman.

Normal Age of Menopause

Normally, menopause occurs between the age of 45 to 55 years.

Criteria of Clinical Diagnosis

Stoppage of menstruation for six consecutive months

Pattern of Stoppage of Menses

At the time of menopause, menstrual periods end in one of the three ways:

In some women, there is a sudden stoppage of menses.

Some women experience a gradual decrease in the amount of flow and finally the periods stop.

Third pattern is a progressive increase in the interval between the periods. There is a gradual decrease in the frequency of the menses and then it stops.

If there is continuous bleeding or irregular menses with or without heavy bleeding, visit your doctor for investigations to exclude malignancy of the genital tract.

Menopausal Symptoms

Women who are physically and mentally fit will seldom have any symptom, apart from the stoppage of menses. However, women who are not strong constitutionally may have following symptoms:

1. Hot Flushes

This is the most common symptom that women have, when going through menopause. There is a sudden feeling of warmth or heat, mainly affecting face and neck. It lasts for about 2 to 5 minutes and is often followed by severe sweating. Several flushes occur in a day and may also disturb sleep at night. Anxiety and palpitation are often associated with the hot flushes.

2. Psychological Symptoms

A woman going through menopause may have:

Anxiety

Irritability

Depression

Insomnia

Mood swings

Poor concentration

3. Neurological Symptoms

Some women may have a pricking sensation, as if from pins or needles, in hands and legs.

4. Genital Symptoms

Dryness of vagina may cause pain during coitus.

5. Urinary Symptoms

Some women may have urinary complaints, like:

Recurrent urinary tract infections

Difficult or painful urination

Incontinence or involuntary urination during laughing, coughing or sneezing

Frequent urging to urinate

Please Note:

1. Nutritious diet, exercise, yoga and meditation can help you have a healthy menopause.

2. Constitutional treatment with classical homeopathy cures the menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes, anxiety etc., in an efficient way. (That's my own clinical experience.)

Conclusion

As a woman reaches menopause, menstruation ceases suddenly or gradually, with progressive decrease in menstrual flow or frequency of the periods. She may have symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, depression, pricking sensation in limbs and pain during coitus or urination. However, proper nutrition, exercise, yoga and meditation can help avoid these symptoms. Constitutional homeopathic treatment also gives significant relief from the menopausal symptoms.

Dr. Surabhi Pant is a registered physician and a medical writer. Dr. Pant has successfully treated various chronic diseases of women, using classical homeopathy. Her blog: http://hhclinic1.blogspot.com/

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