The time around menopause brings hot flashes, sleep disorders, pain and mental problems for many women. How do these symptoms arise? And what can you do about it?
The menopause is a time of change. Your center is menopause, the time of the last menstrual period in life. They get women on average for the last time at the age of 51. The years before and after menopause are often shaped by symptoms that can severely restrict the quality of life.
More than just hot flashes
80 percent of women in menopause reports of hot flashes and nightly sweating. The heat pockets typically start in the chest, rise from there and last three to four minutes. In some cases, the hot flashes precede anxiety and palpitations. Many women in menopause also fight with sleep disorders, joint pain, mood swings or depression as well as difficulties in memory and concentration. Other symptoms can be pain during sex and dry mucous membranes in the genital area.
The menopause lasts around ten to 15 years. Science divides this time into premenopause (before menopause), perimenopause (the year of menopause) and postmenopause (from a year after menopause). The individual phases can be shaped by different symptoms. For most affected people, the hot flashes last less than seven years, about ten percent have the symptoms for more than ten years.
Menopause: hormones in change
The cause of the symptoms is the end of reproductive age. The cycle of menstruation and ovulation and thus also the production of estrogen and progesterone are irregular. The testosterone level also changes. These sex hormones have many tasks in the female body. For example, progesterone is responsible for relaxing nerves and the psyche and thus supports sleep and mental health. In the event of a falling progesterone level at the beginning of menopause, those affected often no longer sleep deeply or are plagued by unrest and fears.
Esstrogen and progesterone are also responsible for the formation of bones. If your mirror decreases with menopause, the risk of osteoporosis also increases. An estimated 30 percent of women aged 60 and over are affected. The bone loss is shown, for example, by back pain and faster broken bones.
Estrogen receptors are also located all over the body. The hormone influences as many organs as heart and brain. In the event of a lack of estrogen, the risk of cardiovascular diseases. After menopause, the risk of heart attacks in women is the same as the male level. The joints are also no longer supplied by estrogens and can be stiff.
Testosterone is generally formed in smaller quantities in women than in men. The hormone is also important in the female body. It ensures muscle building, libido and energy. During the menopause, the testosterone level remains stable for a relatively long time and thus ensures that some women have a lot of energy during this time and are more committed to their own needs. The later testosterone waste then leads to muscle breakdown and slow metabolism.
Therapy with replacement hormones
The most common treatment for complaints in menopause is hormone replacement therapy. The dwindling hormones are replaced by synthetically produced or bioidentical hormones. Especially with an early income, the symptoms can be alleviated or stopped. Because of their possible side effects, these drugs are controversial. However, the risk of breast cancer, thrombosis, heart attack and stroke by the preparations has been assessed as low in recent years.
There are also many remedies for menopause complaints containing so-called isoflavones. These vegetable estrogens are obtained from soy or red clover, for example, and resemble the human sex hormone estrogen. Some studies describe a reduction in hot flashes by these preparations, but the effect is not sufficiently proven. Side effects such as gastrointestinal complaints and interactions with other medications are also possible. Many of these products also exceed the recommended maximum daily dose for Isoflavone, warns the consumer center.
Plant help?
In addition or as an alternative to synthetic hormone preparations, medicinal plants are also offered for women in menopause. But the following also applies to these vegetable products: A positive effect has not yet been scientifically confirmed. Vegetable alternative medicine cannot demonstrably protect against osteoporosis.
Nevertheless, some women swear by these medicinal plants in menopause, including monk pepper. This can lower the prolactin level in the body and help to bring the hormones progesterone and estrogen back into balance.
In the case of hot flashes and sweating, extracts of sage, the grape silver candle or women’s mantle, can allegedly help. Baldrian, lavender and hops calm down and can work against sleep disorders. St. John’s wort stimulates neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine and is therefore used by many in mood swings and fatigue.
Eating and sport for health in menopause
As a result of menopause, women can partially develop chronic diseases or cardiovascular diseases. A balanced and anti-inflammatory diet reduces the risk of this and at the same time gives energy. For women between 51 and 70 years, a diet is therefore recommended with sufficient complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, fiber, vitamin D and calcium.
Movement can also dampen some menopause. Because sport strengthens bones and muscles and has a positive effect on mental health. The use of weights or your own body weight such as yoga and Pilates is particularly recommended for women around menopause.
