Monthly Archives: June 2019

For many women, menopause is a life-altering and in some cases, unsettling experience. As a menopausal woman myself, I have experienced first-hand the symptoms that are typical of many women at this stage in life: from hot flushes to weight gain, to loss of mental focus and mood changes. Menopause is a natural life stage marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years. A woman is deemed to be officially in menopause when she had twelve consecutive months without menstruation. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, the average age being 51. The years preceding menopause (known as perimenopause) can range from two to eight years, marking the onset of a range of challenging symptoms.

So, what exactly causes menopause? As you approach menopause, the ovaries stop producing ‘female’ hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, which leads to an irregular menstrual cycle. For many women, the cycle may become unpredictable and may be longer or heavier. Eventually, cycles stop altogether.

It’s getting hot in here …

Arguably the most common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes and their associated night sweats, which are known collectively as vasomotor symptoms. Hot flushes are defined as intense heat with sweating and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). This feeling can last anywhere between minutes to an hour. Up to 80% of peri- and postmenopausal women report having vasomotor symptoms, with up to a third reporting severe symptoms.

The fluctuation in oestrogen levels is seen to be a significant cause of hot flushes. This variability in hormone production compromises the brain’s perception of temperature, meaning that even a slight increase in temperature triggers a sweating and flushing response. However, fluctuating oestrogen is not the only cause of hot flushes. Research has found that stress levels can also play an influential role. Therefore, addressing stress is vital to managing menopausal symptoms.

Other symptoms that result from fluctuating oestrogen include:

• mood disturbances such as depression, anxiety and fatigue;
• cognitive impairment;
• weight gain;
• hair loss or thinning;
• insomnia;
• increased neck, lower back and hip pain;
• abnormal skin sensation (like ants crawling beneath the skin);

Know the risks

Remarkably, there is an association between vasomotor symptoms and later development of cardiovascular disease. Such symptoms are also correlated with increased insulin resistance and diagnosis of diabetes. If you go through menopause early or you have BMI higher than 25, this further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The seriousness of this risk is demonstrated by the fact that prior to menopause, men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than women, but after the menopausal transition the risk of cardiovascular disease between men and women is almost equal.

The loss of oestrogen that occurs in menopause also results in accelerated bone breakdown and rapid decline in bone density. It is estimated that a woman will lose about 10% of her bone mass within the first five years of menopause, increasing the risk of her developing osteoporosis.

What you can do

The profound physiological and emotional changes that women experience during the menopausal transition can make this time overwhelming. However, these changes can be an opportunity to transition into a new, exciting phase of life. Just remember that hormonal changes form only one part of the overall picture of menopause; environmental factors such as stress and a poor diet can be the difference between a positive transition and a challenging one. This is why every menopausal journey is unique.

The good news is that there are simple things you can do to make this transition more comfortable. Research shows that low-impact exercise and mind-body therapies such as Pilates can improve menopausal symptoms. Also, having a strong support unit can make an enormous difference.

Essential Wellness can provide you with the nourishment and support to feel more comfortable in your own skin.