Menopause Symptoms At Age 45
Around the age of 45, many women enter pre-menopause and start to notice the first signs that menopause is coming. For some women, the symptoms are mild and short-lasting. For others, menopause symptoms can be disruptive and long-lasting.
Some of the earliest signs of menopause may include:
Changes to your period
Period changes are usually the first signs of menopause. For example, your period may start to happen every 6-8 weeks. Or you may miss a couple months before it comes back again. You may also have a heavier flow or a lighter flow from time to time.
That said, its important to know you can still get pregnant during perimenopause. So, continue to use birth control in the lead up to menopause as you normally would. Also, if youve missed your period and youre not sure whether perimenopause has started, consider taking a pregnancy test as a first step.
Mood changes
As your hormone levels change, you may find yourself feeling more irritable, anxious, sad or forgetful than usual. Your sex drive can also decrease or increase.
These changes are very typical as your body approaches menopause. So be kind to yourself, practice self-care and ask for help if youre having trouble.
Sleeping problems
You may find it difficult to fall asleep, or you may wake up in the middle of the. Sleep trouble can contribute to a persistent feeling of tiredness, which can also affect your mood.
Why Am I Gaining Weight During Perimenopause
The shift in hormones slows down your metabolism. Its very common for women in perimenopause to gain weight once their estrogen levels start to decline. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent weight gain during the transition to menopause.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Perimenopause is the transition to menopause. During perimenopause, you may start having menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, mood swings or vaginal dryness. Most perimenopause symptoms are manageable. But if you need help managing symptoms, medications and other treatments are available. Perimenopause ends when youve had no period for a full year. At that point, you enter menopause.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/05/2021.
References
Menopause Symptoms At Age 50
Most women will have their last period around the age of 50. After 12 months without a period, menopause is complete and post-menopause begins.
As menopause gets closer, your estrogen and progesterone levels start to decline more rapidly. As a result, your symptoms will likely become more intense.
Your periods will probably become more irregular until they finally stop. You may experience greater mood swings and an increase in insomnia. And youll likely start experiencing new symptoms that are common right around, or right after, reaching menopause, including:
Hot flashes and chills
Hot flashes are sensations of heat that develop around your face, neck and chest, and may spread to other areas of your body. They usually last for just a few minutes.
Alongside the feeling of heat, your skin may redden, you may sweat, your heart rate might increase, and your mood may change. Afterward, you may feel chills.
Doctors arent sure why hot flashes happen, but there are ways to lessen their impact. Some tips include:
- Try to stay in cooler environments
- Dress lightly or wear layers you can remove
- Find effective ways to manage stress
- Monitor your diet
- Reduce how much caffeine or alcohol you drink
Hot flashes can happen during pre-menopause, but theyre most often reported right around menopause and in the first few years of post-menopause.
Night sweats
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Perimenopause: The Ovarys Frustrating Grand Finale
Women in midlife increasingly hear the words estrogen deficiencys a disease, all men have it! .
Our purpose here first is to put womens midlife concerns into a new and more accurate hormonal picture. Specifically, Id like to present new information about high
estrogen levels are high? A dozen or so studies in the last 20 years have set out to measure hormone levels in levels are compared with average levels in young women, it is clear that the levels are higher, and significantly so .
Lets consider
levels increase and become unpredictable .
My Experience Of Periods Changing Prior To Menopause By Aisling Grimley Founder My Second Spring
“At 47 I missed my period one month and thought I might be pregnant as I also experienced some hormone surges that reminded me of pregnancy. I had some red rage moments and very tender breasts.
During the following 5/6 years of perimenopause, I went through times of having regular monthly periods in my classic pattern for a few months. Then I might skip up to 6 months only to have periods return to normal again. During the gaps with no period, I sometimes had PMS like symptoms and mild cramps when I reckon I should have had a period. Sometimes my cramps were very painful, at other times I had no pain at all. My last periods were quite light and I never experienced flooding but I know it is very usual to have one or two very heavy periods before they stop altogether.
At 53 I had my last period and I am now period-free for 15 months so I declare myself to be in The Menopause!” Aisling
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Other Causes For Period Changes
The regular monthly period is not the only reason why people may bleed.
Because a persons periods are often irregular during perimenopause, they should pay extra attention for any abnormal symptoms particularly as some uterus-related conditions are more common during and after perimenopause.
People may bleed because of:
- Endometrial atrophy. Low estrogen in perimenopause and menopause can cause the tissue of the uterus to get very thin, which can cause irregular bleeding.
- Uterine polyps. These are benign growths that can grow inside the uterus and cervix. Polyps do not always cause symptoms, but some people notice bleeding after sex.
- Endometrial hyperplasia. Hormonal shifts can cause the lining of the uterus to thicken in perimenopause. When the body has too much estrogen without enough progesterone, this thickness may cause bleeding. Bleeding is its most common symptom. Endometrial hyperplasia is treatable but can increase a persons risk of cancer.
- Uterine Cancer. Uterine cancer happens when abnormal or atypical cells progress into cancer. Though rare, it generally presents with heavy bleeding or postmenopausal bleeding.
Perimenopause is not a disease and does not require treatment. It can, however, increase peoples risk of developing certain diseases. Moreover, the menstrual cycle can change for reasons other than perimenopause.
Anyone experiencing changes in their menstrual cycle should see a doctor for a diagnosis.
What Happens After Menopause
After menopause you will no longer be able to get pregnant and you will no longer get a period. If you have any type of vaginal bleeding after menopause, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Vaginal bleeding after menopause is not normal and can mean that you have a serious health problem.
You may experience any of the following after menopause:
- Low hormone levels. With menopause, your ovaries make very little of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Because of changing hormone levels, you may develop certain health risks, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke.
- Menopause symptoms instead of period problems. After menopause, most women get relief from period problems or menopause symptoms. However, you may still experience symptoms such as hot flashes because of changing estrogen levels. One recent study found that hot flashes can continue for up to 14 years after menopause.6,7
- Vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness may be more common post-menopause. Learn more about treatments for vaginal dryness.
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What Is The Last Period Like Before Menopause
Shorter cycles When your estrogen levels are low, your uterine lining is thinner. Bleeding, as a result, may be lighter and last fewer days. Short cycles are more common in the earlier stages of perimenopause. For example, you may have a period thats 2 or 3 days shorter than normal.
When does menopause start and end?
The ending of menstruation is known as menopause which takes place at the age range of 50. The first day of bleeding is marked as the first day of a menstrual cycle and period from one menstrual cycle to another can vary from 28 to 30 days.
What is menopause and how does it affect my fertility?
Menopause is the normal, natural transition in life that begins between the ages of 35-55. During this time, your ovaries get smaller and stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone that control the menstrual cycle, your eggs are depleted and fertility declines. Eventually, you are no longer able to become pregnant.
What is perimenopause and when does it start?
The 3-5 year period before menopause when your estrogen and hormone levels begin to drop is called perimenopause. You typically enter into perimenopause in your late 40s and could begin to experience irregular menstrual cycles and symptoms such as:
What is the purpose of menopause?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOluxtc3Cpw
What Is The Relationship Between Menopause And Menstruation
Menstrual cycle characteristics during the menopausal transition differ, to some extent, by age at menopause. Women with later menopause have longer mean cycle length and greater variability two years before menopause than women with earlier menopause,5 with differences most notable at the extremes of menopausal age.
Why is it called menopause?
The word menopause comes from the Greek words menos, meaning month, and pause, meaning to cease. So, menopause means the monthly stops.
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Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
Hot flashes and night sweats are common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, with over 85% of women reporting hot flashes. Hormone changes affect your bodys internal thermostat. A hot flash feels like a wave or sensation of heat across your face, neck, and chest. It can last for several minutes. Hot flashes can happen a few times a day, a few times a week, or less often.
Hot flashes that happen at night are called night sweats, which can cause women to wake up drenched in sweat and disturb sleep. Women are more likely to report hot flashes at night.
How Can Herbal Remedies Help
There are some herbal remedies which can help with symptoms of the menopause and the troublesome periods to go with them.
- Agnus castus Agnus castus is a licensed herbal remedy used to help relieve the symptoms of PMS. In the lead up to the menopause your periods might become heavier and more painful than before due to fluctuations in the hormone oestrogen
- Soy isoflavones Our Menopause Support contains an extract of fermented soya beans, providing phytoestrogenic isoflavones to gently support you through the menopause
- Sage Our Menoforce® Sage tablets is a licensed herbal remedy used to relieve excessive sweating and menopausal hot flushes.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Menopause
Estrogen is used by many parts of a womanâs body. As levels of estrogen decrease, you could have various symptoms. Many women experience mild symptoms that can be treated by lifestyle changes such as avoiding caffeine or carrying a portable fan. Some women donât require any treatment at all, but for others, symptoms can be more severe. The severity of symptoms varies greatly around the world and by race and ethnicity.
Here are the most common changes you might notice at midlife. Some may be part of aging rather than directly related to menopause.
Change in your period. This might be what you notice first. Your periods may no longer be regular. They may be shorter or last longer. You might bleed more or less than usual. These are all normal changes, but to make sure there isnât a problem, see your doctor if:
- Your periods happen very close together.
- You have heavy bleeding.
- Your periods last more than a week.
- Your periods resume after no bleeding for more than a year.
Bladder control. A loss of bladder control is called incontinence. You may have a sudden urge to urinate, or urine may leak during exercise, sneezing, or laughing. The first step in treating incontinence is to see a doctor. Bladder infections also can occur in midlife.
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Prefer To Read Heres The Text Version Of Annes Video
My periods are changing whats going on?
Changes to menstrual flow is one of the most common symptoms that women experience from 40s onwards, but particularly as they reach the late perimenopause. Changes included:
- Increased frequency in periods
- Reduced frequency of periods
So, in simple terms the periods can either get much closer together or can start to space out.
Women can also experience inter-menstrual bleeding which is the technical term for spotting in between periods. And finally, they may also find that their periods become not only heavier but more painful.
Why does it happen?
The key trigger to the changes is changes in ovulation. This results in what we call disordered hormonal flux during the cycle.
Instead of having a regular cyclical swing of estrogen and progesterone each month, which most women have if they have a 28 day cycle, the hormone release can become very disordered, almost random. And that then leads to effectively random shedding of the lining without any predictable pattern.
Many women are under the misapprehension that as the lead up to the menopause their periods will actually get much lighter and theyll have less to worry about, but sadly the reverse is true. And in fact their periods generally get heavier closer together and much more troublesome.
Getting help with periods during perimenopause and menopause
- Her family history
- Whether or not you suspect there is any other underlying pathology
Practical ways to manage heavy periods
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What Can I Do About Hot Flashes
Hot flashes occur from a decrease in estrogen levels. In response to this, your glands release higher amounts of other hormones that affect the brains thermostat, causing your body temperature to fluctuate. Hormone therapy has been shown to relieve some of the discomfort of hot flashes for many women. However, the decision to start using these hormones should be made only after you and your healthcare provider have evaluated your risk versus benefit ratio.
To learn more about womens health, and specifically hormone therapy, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health launched the Womens Health Initiative in 1991. The hormone trial had 2 studies: the estrogen-plus-progestin study of women with a uterus and the estrogen-alone study of women without a uterus. Both studies ended early when the research showed that hormone therapy did not help prevent heart disease and it increased risk for some medical problems. Follow-up studies found an increased risk of heart disease in women who took estrogen-plus-progestin therapy, especially those who started hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause.
The WHI recommends that women follow the FDA advice on hormone therapy. It states that hormone therapy should not be taken to prevent heart disease.
Practical suggestions for coping with hot flashes include:
Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause.
Menopause is defined as when your period has stopped for a full year.
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If You Are Having Very Difficult Symptoms Of Menopause Including Irregular Periods You Should Consider Some Changes To Your Lifestyle As Necessary
Please visit our Treatments page and Lifestyle pages for some information and inspiration on a wide variety of topics from Nutrition to Exercise, Sex and your changing home and wardrobe at midlife. Here at My Second Spring, we’re interested in chatting to you about all things midlife not just the pesky symptoms of menopause. We hope you’ll find lots of cool articles to read there and also on our blog.
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Should I Be On Birth Control During Perimenopause
Yes. If you do not want to become pregnant, you should use birth control during perimenopause. Even if you are getting your period every few months, you are still ovulating those months. Since its not possible to predict when you are ovulating, you should use birth control until you havent gotten a period for at least 12 months.
How Can I Treat The Symptoms
There are a bunch of ways.
Lifestyle changes. A healthy diet and regular exercise program will help manage your symptoms and boost your health. This is a great time to finally kick any old, unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking too much alcohol. To help with hot flashes, dress lightly and in layers. Avoid triggers like caffeine and spicy foods. And if you stay sexually active, that may help preserve your vaginal lining.
Prescription medication for hot flashes. If you still have your uterus, your doctor might prescribe treatment with estrogen and progesterone. This is called combination hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy . It helps with hot flashes and night sweats, and it may help prevent osteoporosis. If you donât have a uterus, you might get estrogen alone.
Hormone therapy isnât for everyone. Donât take it if youve ever had breast cancer, uterine or endometrial cancer, blood clots, liver disease, or a stroke. Also dont take it if you might be pregnant or you have undiagnosed vaginal bleeding.
If you cant or dont want to take hormones, other medications can ease symptoms. They include antidepressants, antiseizure drugs, or blood pressure medications to help with hot flashes and mood swings.
Prescription and OTC medication for vaginal dryness and sleep problems. You can try topical estrogen, lubricants, and non-estrogen prescriptions for dryness and painful sex. OTC or prescription sleep aids can help if you have trouble falling asleep.
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