Summary
Menopause is a natural and physiological process that a woman will have to deal with during her life, it’s a real hormonal change. Every year, more than 10 million women in France go through menopause. With the definitive end of the menstrual cycle, what are the symptoms of menopause ? At what age do they appear ?
What are the symptoms of menopause and how do they impact your daily life ?
One of the most important signs that a woman has entered menopause is for sure the interruption of her menstrual cycle. This is when the absence of menstruation has been confirmed for more than a year that we talk about Menopause. Other symptoms follow after that. There are two main types :
Physical symptoms
During the hormonal change that comes before menopause, several symptoms can occur. To better understand this phenomenon, here is a non-exhaustive list of the most frequently reported signs of menopause
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- headaches
- vaginal dryness
- weight gain
- fatigue
- joint pain
- skin disorders
- genito-urinary disorders (urinary infection, sexual disorders, urinary leakage, incontinence)
Psychological symptoms of menopause
Other psychological symptoms can appear during menopause, such as
- Mood swings : such as anxiety, irritability, hypersensitivity, depression
- sleep disorders (insomnia)
- Issues to focus on, memory loss
At what age do the first symptoms of menopause appear ?
When we talk about menopause, it means that there is no more menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. In other words, it is the end of the ovarian cycle and the end of the fertile period for women. According to the Inserm institute, menopause occurs around the age of 45, with an average age of 50. Depending on the woman, some symptoms of menopause happen well before or after 55 years. It can be explained by family history, lifestyle, but also by the hormonal treatments taken.
The first symptoms of menopause : the perimenopause
Two or three years before menopause, it is possible to feel the first warning signs. This is called the perimenopause or premenopause period. The menstrual cycle becomes irregular with heavier or almost non-existent periods, and hormones gradually drop. In addition to these first signs, other physical and even psychological symptoms can be observed.
Early menopause
For some women, the signs of menopause arrive around the age of 40. In this case, it is early menopause due to premature ovarian failure. The stock of egg follicles is strongly reduced, which stops the production of progesterone, followed by estrogen. To find out if you are menopausal, you can have a hormone test done by your gynecologist. This blood test will accurately measure the level of FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone).
Late menopause
Late menopause happens when the symptoms appear after the age of 53, around 55 on average. There are no health benefits to having a late menopause, and you should be aware of the health issues related to it. According to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, late menopausal women have a higher risk of developing breast, uterus, and ovarian cancer. Other recent studies conducted by the American Menopause Society suggest that women with late menopause live longer.
As you can see, there are a lot of signs of menopause that change from one woman to another. They can be annoying, which is why more and more women are taking food supplements to help them through this stage. Our Sugar-free Menopause gummies, based on vitamins and plant extracts, have been specially created to reduce these inconveniences. They will allow you to get a healthy routine that will help you live this hormonal change better.