Menopause
and why Perimenopause is really the one you hate!
Hi, everyone! Today, we are going to be talking about Menopause and why Perimenopause is really the one to blame!
I have had several women ask me to shine some light on this topic. I think we all have been hearing about it from our mothers and grandmothers for as long as we can remember. However, no one really talks about what is normal during the transition Menopause and Menopause itself. We definitely aren’t told about when or why it occurs, and what it means for your body. So, I am going to try to tackle that today!
Is it hot in here to you, or is that just me?
In a nutshell- Menopause is when your body stops having menstrual periods and you can no longer get pregnant. The average age for this in the US is around 52 years old. The transition to Menopause is generally what everyone thinks about when we start discussing this topic because that is when you start having symptoms like hot flashes. This transition, called Perimenopause, can last for several years, 4 years is the average for most women, and is where you experience symptoms of menopause but continue to experience irregular menstrual cycles.
Perimenopause
During Perimenopause, or the transition to menopause, your hormone levels can fluctuate unexpectedly resulting in irregular symptom occurrence. You might experience things like:
Hot Flashes
3/4 women experience these
Difficulty Sleeping
Pain during Sex
Vaginal Dryness
This can result in itching/burning and pain or discomfort at any time.
It can also make sex painful and cause small cuts or tears in your vagina during sex.
Changes in Feelings about Sex
Irregular Periods
Memory Problems
2/3 of women experience this during Perimenopause
Urinary Incontinence
Mood Changes
Commonly reported as irritability or crying spells
Depression and Anxiety
Decreased Bone Density
Decreased Strength and Impaired Balance
Most of these symptoms are related to changes in the hormones that are produced by your ovaries. The symptoms may come on fast and be very frequent or they might pop up individually and not last long at all. It is all dependent on your body and how it is handling the transition.
Menopause
When you reach 1 year without any bleeding or spotting, you have officially entered Menopause. For most women, this occurs between the ages of 45 and 58, but you may experience it earlier. Make sure you are discussing any of your symptoms with your gynecologist or general physician. Some women can experience irregular episodes of menopause-like-symptoms for several years after reaching this stage.
After Menopause is reached, you should never experience vaginal bleeding. If you do- see your gynecologist right away. It is also common for women to be more susceptible to disease processes like osteoporosis, heart disease and strokes during Peri- and Menpause because of the changing hormone levels. All of the above diseases have certain risk factors that can be addressed via lifestyle changes (A.K.A. diet/exercise/smoking-cessation), which means you can help yourself stay healthy!
Treatment
If you are experiencing Menopause symptoms and they are bothering you, reach out to your physician or gynecologist! There are medication options for treatment for most symptoms. Unfortunately, most medicine-based treatments have side effects related to hormone therapy.
Physical Therapy
Utilizing our extensive knowledge of the body and the changes you are undergoing- a physical therapist can affect many of the common symptoms seen with Perimenopause and Menopause! Through Aerobic exercise, you can decrease incidence of hot flashes, improve insomnia, improve brain function, decrease weight gain, improve bone density, improve strength and improve balance. Painful intercourse, Vaginal Dryness, and Urinary Incontinence can be addressed via pelvic floor physical therapy utilizing different techniques depending on what your body needs! here at RPT, we are trained to help you recharge your current symptoms and change your life
What does it really mean, Dr. Paige?
In summary, Perimenopause tends to be the one that causes all of the symptoms that every woman dreads. Menopause doesn’t actually occur until you have been cycle-free for 1 year. All of the symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause can be helped and effected by treatment via medicine or physical therapy. If you are struggling, reach out. We can, and will, be able to assist you during this transition.
If any of this information has been helpful to you or you think you need more help- let us know! Reach out in the comments or on our Contact page! And don’t forget to share our blog with the women in your life! You never know who might be blessed with this information!
Talk to you later!!
Dr. Paige Hubert, PT, DPT
Owner/Physical Therapist for Recharged Performance Therapy
Paige@RechargedPerformanceTherapy.com
(321) 802-1630