On this earth, only humans are the living beings who experience menopause. Unlike the other female species that continue to menstruate all through their entire lifespan, a woman when reaches the age of 50, maybe earlier than or later than that age, her menstrual period ceases and eventually stop and live for the rest of their life.
Normally, a healthy woman menstruates for years, starting about the age of puberty until early or mid-fifties. Consequently, the body’s hormone levels surge up before the start of menstruation slowly drops down before the beginning of menopause. By the time they reach the early thirties, many women start to experience declining levels of estrogen and progesterone, and subsequent drop infertility at the same time. By the time they reach their forties, they start to manifest obvious symptoms detecting that a woman is entering the pre-menopausal stage and eventually undergoing the menopausal stage.
Menopause is a natural transition period in a woman’s life wherein her body tends to degenerate egg cells in her ovaries and her hormone levels slowly go down, experiencing menstruation less frequent, and finally stopping it as a whole. This event normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years, and it may last for about five years or more. Once menopause is complete and you haven’t had a period for a span of a year, you are no longer being able to become pregnant.
The main reason why women experience signs and symptoms during menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. Ovaries, the ones responsible for the production of these hormones, tend to produce less over time. However, these symptoms may be present to others and not to all women. There are changes that will occur in the reproductive system as a result of the fall in the hormonal levels. The vagina becomes shorter and its walls become less elastic and thinner. There is a lack of vaginal lubrication, making sexual intercourse painful for women. These symptoms can be corrected through hormonal replacement therapy, it may be taken as a pill or topical cream applied directly to the vagina.
Women under the menopausal stage might experience long-term problems because of a diminished supply of estrogens such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and vaginal atrophy. However, they also experience short-term signs and symptoms like night sweats, hot flushes, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, dizziness, poor libido, breast tenderness, dryness and aging of the skin, fatigue, depression, insomnia, and heart palpitations.
Though they are under menopause, women don’t lose their sexual drive. They continue to enjoy their sexual life throughout the rest of the years, although there are some changes in their sexual activity. As their sexual needs change as they age, couples may try some alternatives for them to achieve sexual fulfillment.
Experiencing menopause is just a normal transition in a woman’s life. The only thing a woman can do during this stage is to have an active life. Exercise, spend time with family and friends, cook your favorite food, among others. You may relate your experiences with those women who are also undergoing the menopausal stage. If you feel in doubt or depressed about your situation, you may seek consultation with your doctor about your concerns regarding menopause.