Periods and Menopause
Your hormones change your body over and over in your lifetime. But do you know what is happening?
Periods
First off, what is happening during a period. When the female body reaches puberty a period occurs, also called menstruation. Once a month a period occurs when a pregnancy does not happen or occur. The body sees that there is no pregnancy in the uterus and signals for a hormonal change to happen. The uterus then sheds it’s lining (like the inner layer of skin on its walls) which results in a period. The period consists of the shed lining, blood, and tissue the uterus is getting rid of. This can last typically 2 to 7 days, however factors like intense exercise changes, diet, medications, and birth control can affect duration and how heavy the flow, or shed, is.
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Flow is how heavy your period is. The first few days can be the heaviest with it appearing red, brown, pink, or slightly black in color. If you are concerned with any of these contact your doctor with questions. When a period does end, there are 24 to 38 days until the next period. Roughly once a month is a regular period, but it may be the week between two months and that is okay. Periods also come along with side effects such as cramping around the uterus, breast soreness, bloating, mood changes, or fatigue. Flow and side effects vary from person to person. One person may never cramp while another person cramps so bad they may need to call off work.
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If your period interferes with your daily life where you cannot complete your ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) such as making your own food, going to work, going to the store, etc. please talk to your doctor as they can offer solutions. Also talk to your doctor if you have concerns, more than one period in 21 to 35 days or if they are irregular, if you are having severe pain or bleeding between periods, or if your bleeding is extremely heavy during your period.
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Managing Your Period: There are many pain relievers such as over the counter medication like ibuprofen or Tylenol. Heating pads on the lower back or uterus can also help relax the muscles when cramping. Compression such as a weighted blanket is also helpful for some people.
Perimenopause
This is the time in a women’s life between their period and menopause. This can cause changes in period flow, duration of a period, and how often the period lasts. Some people get them more frequently while some begin to skip their menstruation cycle. Other than these symptoms, there are many other ways perimenopause can present itself in people:
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Brain Fog- this is when the cognitive, or mental thoughts, are jumbled and cause forgetfulness. Many women experience this as a symptom. It can present itself as forgetting basic things such as names or terms or people, not being able to focus, and forgetting words when talking. This can cause the women experiencing it anxiety and concern in their mental health. Of course, though if you have concerns, please contact your doctor.
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Depression- perimenopause and after menopause is a high time for depression. This is because of the high volume and movement of hormones in the body at each of these time windows. This risk also increases if the individual has experienced depression or has been diagnosed with the condition in their past. It is important that when you are in these sections of time to take time for yourself and prioritize not only your mental health, but also your physical health. This helps you recognize when there might be an abnormality or issue that is not normally there. Coping skills are very important to develop in this period as well.
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Migraines- where some people have chronic migraines, some people have them just during perimenopause or hormone changes. Migraines are different from person to person but often involve a throbbing pain in the head. This can worsen with light brightness, loud sounds, and can cause vomiting and nausea. Some people report the migraines disappearing when menopause is reached while some people continue to have them. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms.
Night Sweats/ Hot Flashes- hot flashes are extremely common in many women during this period. Hot flashes are when you suddenly feel heat in your upper body in an extreme way. It is mainly felt in the chest, neck, and face. It lasts 5 minutes or less and can also come along with chills, sweating, or short periods of anxiety. Night sweats are when the person wakes up in the night experiencing a hot flash. The reason night sweats and hot flashes happen is because the body is having hormonal changes to move itself into menopause, and the body trying to regulate its temperature.
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding- Some women still bleed when in perimenopause while others it is a rarity. Changes in bleeding pattern is to be expected but it is important to discuss concerns and changes with your doctor to ensure no issues are occurring.
Menopause
Menopause can include many symptoms that are in the perimenopause section. The symptoms can include hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, intercourse pain, increased UTIs, Brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, sleep disruptions, and even joint pain The official diagnosis for menopause is when the body has not had a period for 12 months. It occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Menopause is caused by the decline in estrogen, and this can also cause an increase in risk for cardiovascular issues. It is important to talk to your doctor when you notice changes as menopause as it requires lifestyle changes. This includes diet, exercise, and some medical variables. Many symptoms can be helped or controlled with hormone therapy.
After menopause ends you will then be in the time called Postmenopause. The symptoms such as hot flashes that we see in perimenopause and menopause. However since your estrogen is now decreased as it's normal there are long term issues that come along with low estrogen. This includes Heart disease or stroke. This is because estrogen helps protect the heart and without it, it can be vulnerable. Low estrogen also leads to Osteoporosis. This is when your bone's density decreases and is more prone to fractures.
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If you have any questions or concerns as to what is normal for your body, ask a doctor for help. This is the BEST way to ensure your health.