Menopause Symptoms Age 47:
The symptoms you experience during each stage of menopause (perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause) are all part of your body’s adjustment to these changes. As you age, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares to stop. This cycle has been continuously functioning since puberty. As menopause nears, your ovaries make less of a hormone called estrogen. When this decrease occurs, your menstrual cycle (period) starts to change. When menopause happens on its own (natural menopause), it’s a normal part of aging.
Many of the changes you experience during perimenopause are a result of decreasing estrogen. If you have symptoms that interfere with your life or well-being, such as hot flashes, mood swings or changes in sexual function that concern you, see your doctor. Menopause can also be triggered by a hysterectomy or surgical removal of the ovaries, which produce hormones. If you have surgery to remove your uterus or ovaries and are not taking hormones, you will experience symptoms of menopause immediately. In addition to the symptoms that may be tough to deal with, a lot of stressful life changes can happen around the same time as perimenopause and menopause. Some people may only be in this stage for a few months, while others will be in this transition phase for more than four years.
A variety of medications are FDA-approved for other reasons but have been found to help with hot flashes, too. You’re in menopause once you have gone a full 12 months without a menstrual period (assuming there’s no other medication or medical condition that would cause you to skip periods). People who go through menopause early tend to have more severe symptoms of menopause. These symptoms can lead to sexual dysfunction or loss of intimacy.
While this research is limited, we know the most about the relationship between menopause and depressive symptoms or disorders, so this was our area of focus. Harvard Medical School has more about menopause and mental health. Menopause is thought of as emotionally taxing on women because of hormone fluctuations, but it also coincides with substantial mid-life stresses and life events, researchers noted.
If you don’t want to expand your family at this age, continue using birth control until your healthcare provider tells you it’s safe to stop. Continue to practice safe sex to prevent sexually transmitted super fast reply infections (STIs) throughout your life. Symptoms of menopause can include hot flashes, irregular periods, mood changes, night sweats, breast soreness, vaginal dryness, bloating, thinning hair, and more.
The level of estrogen ‘ the main female hormone ‘ in your body rises and falls unevenly during perimenopause. Your menstrual cycles may lengthen or shorten, and you may begin having menstrual cycles in which your ovaries don’t release an egg (ovulate). You may also experience menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness. In the lead-up to menopause, your ovaries may not produce an egg each month. This can lead to changes in the hormones circulating in your body.
Early menopause is when menopause occurs at ages 40’45 years. Menopause occurs from hormone changes as the body nears the end of its reproductive years. ‘In well-designed lowest price studies, cognitive behavioral therapies ‘ where you focus on your thoughts about hot flashes ‘ have actually been shown to be very helpful,’ Dr. Batur says.
Preventive health care as you age may include recommended health screening tests, such as colonoscopy, mammography and triglyceride screening. Your doctor might recommend other tests and exams, too, including thyroid testing if suggested by your history, and breast and pelvic exams. For example, hot flushes and night sweats may improve, and then you may develop low mood and anxiety. The transition to menopause begins and ends at different times. Factors like your family history, personal health history, and whether you smoke can all impact the timing.
This is supporting women’s reproductive wellbeing in the workplace projects and programmes led by voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations. The theme of the fund for 2022 to 2025 is women’s reproductive wellbeing in the workplace, with a third of the funded projects looking at menopause and workplace issues. The learning to come from these innovative projects will inform and influence future activity. As part of the 2023 Spring Budget announcement, the Government announced an expansion of the Jobcentre Plus Midlife MOT offer, with an ambition to reach up to 40,000 customers aged 50 and over in the next year. With thanks to the many employers who have supported my work, the following two case studies highlight real examples of the impact that menopause workplace support can have. This research also shows that only one-third of workers feel supported by their manager or employer, compared to around half who feel supported by their colleagues.
Some men won’t even notice the change because it happens over many years or decades. Other names for the male version of menopause are age-related low testosterone, male hypogonadism or androgen deficiency. Your healthcare provider may be able to prescribe a medication to help you (hormone therapy or an antidepressant).
They cause someone to suddenly become hot, sweaty, and flushed, especially in the face, neck, and chest. But it can also stem from surgery, treatment of a disease, or an illness. In these cases it can be called induced menopause, surgical menopause, or primary ovarian insufficiency, depending on the cause. Signs and symptoms, including changes in menstruation can vary among women. Most likely, you’ll experience some irregularity in your periods before they end. Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work.
A small percentage of AFAB folks are late going into menopause. Hot flashes can happen during pre-menopause, image source but they’re most often reported right around menopause and in the first few years of post-menopause.
The estrogen your body makes throughout your life before menopause protects against heart attack and stroke. When your estrogen levels go down during and after menopause, your risk for heart and blood vessel problems goes up. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Get regular exercise, eat well, and watch your cholesterol and blood pressure.
Menopause that occurs before the age of 45 is called early menopause. Menopause that occurs at 40 or younger is considered premature menopause. When there’s no medical or surgical cause for premature menopause, it’s called primary ovarian insufficiency. Clinically, perimenopause is the months or years preceding menopause. During this time, women can develop many of the same symptoms that we see in menopause, yet can still have their periods.
As you come to the end of your reproductive years, your body starts to produce less estrogen and eventually menstruation stops. This drop in estrogen can lead to a range of symptoms, such as hot flashes. A 2023 research review suggests dietary choices during menopause can help manage depression, weight, skin changes, and even vasomotor symptoms. Hot flashes last on average 5.2 years, starting around a year before menopause. They usually lessen after menopause but can persist for up to 20 years. If you can’t (or don’t want to) go on hormone therapy, other medications may help.