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Blog - Menopause

Menopause

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Menopause - Don’t short change “the change”

Menopause also known as "the change" happens to around 6,000 women every day. There are many common factors that we know and also a lot of misinformation. Let’s talk about the facts and the myths.

How fast does menopause happen?

Unless you have had your ovaries surgically removed, menopause happens gradually. It’s not something where you wake up one morning and go, “yay, no more periods or cramps”. A woman’s egg production steadily slows down over a period of several years. As this happens we enter pre-menopause. Our time of month will become less predictable or spotty but our periods have not yet stopped.

Are Menopause and sleeplessness related?

There are articles that say menopause and tossing and turning through the wee hours of the morning are not related. That is simply not true. Commonly, between 1:00 am and 3:00 am menopausal women wake up from a sound sleep. Hot flashes or night sweats can be part of the culprit but not all the time. One minute you are sleeping the sleep of the dead and the next you are staring at the ceiling for no apparent reason. It still doesn’t help when that alarm clock goes off and we are grumpy and irritable from no sleep.

No hot flashes mean it’s not menopause?

There are no set rules for hot flashes among menopausal women. Some women suffer severe hot flashes, others have no hot flashes, while the remaining ladies find them irritating but bearable.

Also, hot flashes can be worse in the pre-menopausal state, lessening over time and finally stopping all together. Studies have shown women who are overweight or smoke tend to have a harder time with hot flashes. Believe it or not, no one knows exactly what causes a hot flash.

Is something wrong if you get a period after skipping one for many months?

Nope, you just haven’t crossed over from the pre-menopause state. The definition of Menopause, for women who have a uterus, is no menstrual periods for a year. If you get a period after 11 months, you have to reset the one-year clock. I bet that made you sigh!

Only women over 50 go into menopause?

Menopause can start at any time. It is rare for a woman in her 20s to go into it but there is a low average of women who start menopause before they turn the refined age of 50. The average age is 51 and up.

Now that I’m pre-menopausal can I get pregnant?

Yes, so don’t toss aside your birth control just yet. Having hot flashes and sleepless nights doesn’t mean you are completely unfertile. Ask your physician, based on an examination, your history and blood tests he/she should be able to give you a more definite answer.

Why do I get headaches during menopause?

Like hot flashes no one knows exactly what the connection is between menopause and headaches. However, much of the blame can be placed on changing hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are the two hormones most affected by menopause. One can cause blood vessels to contract while the other can cause blood vessels to constrict. With all the expanding and tightening no wonder are head can pound.

So, whether you suffer severe hot flashes, headaches or sleeplessness nights menopause effects all of us at one time or another. Don’t let it get in the way of enjoying the Golden years or use it as an excuse to become overweight and grumpy. Pro Gyne from Meditrend can help with menopause symptoms. It contains Black Cohosh Extract, which has been used to treat women's hormone-related symptoms since the 1950s. Don’t short change “the change”. 




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