Talking about menopause can feel awkward and embarrassing. But when it inevitably strikes, you need to be prepared. The shame and secrecy surrounding this topic cause many menopausal women not to know what to expect.

This area of women’s healthcare is crucial to understand, especially if you will hit menopause in the future. A menopause plan will not only prepare you for changes physically but also emotionally.

We’ll walk you through a basic primer on this era of life – from early menopause to menopause symptoms to how to survive menopause come out the other end thriving.

Women's Healthcare Spotlight: How to Survive Menopause

Women’s Healthcare Spotlight: How to Survive Menopause

The Menopause Question: What Is It?

The menopausal transition is a normal part of life. Everyone who menstruates will pass through this period of time. It’s not an aberration, a disease, or anything else disordered.

The standard definition of menopause is that it is the time when a woman’s menstrual cycle ceases. Menopause technically “begins” when you are 12 months beyond your last period.

This means no new eggs will be released from the ovaries, the uterus will no longer build up its walls in preparation for a fetus, and you will stop getting your period.

In some ways, this can be a relief – you don’t have to worry about periods anymore, and period symptoms such as painful cramps, fatigue, and headaches will also cease. Furthermore, you will no longer be able to become pregnant.

However, this can also be a period of difficult transition. The symptoms and severity will vary between women, but almost everyone is affected physically and mentally in some way during this time.

Symptoms and Signs of Menopause

The earliest sign that menopause is approaching is often irregularity between periods. They may be longer or shorter or become noticeably heavier or lighter. After a few months of this, your periods will stop completely.

Other physical symptoms include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and insomnia or excessive sleeping. Most physical symptoms occur because of fluctuating levels of the sex hormone estrogen in the brain. Now that your reproductive period is waning, estrogen levels are destabilized.

You’ve probably heard jokes about hot flashes, but they’re no laughing matter. They can be powerful enough to wake you from a dead sleep. They are intensely uncomfortable and can occur several times a day, though some women only experience them once or twice a week.

Many women also experience increased vaginal dryness, even when aroused. This can lead to increased pain during sex. However, using a water-based lubricant during sexual activity can help with this menopause symptom.

Even if you have a regular sleep pattern, menopause can disrupt it in a number of ways. You may have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. You may begin to wake up multiple times in the night. Or, you may experience excessive fatigue despite getting 8 hours of sleep.

To manage sleep issues, make sure you have a routine in place and that you are practicing good sleep hygiene.

Menopause also affects you emotionally. You may have mood swings reminiscent of a teenager’s. Physical symptoms and insomnia may make you more irritable than normal. Your feelings about having sex (and how often you want to do it) may fluctuate.

It’s important to watch out for these signs of menopause as you enter the months following your last period. With the right menopause plan, you should be able to manage your symptoms without having them disrupt your everyday life.

What Is Early Menopause?

Early menopause happens when people younger than 45 experience the above symptoms and the end of their fertility. Menopause in above-45 women is considered to be during the normal range when it should occur.

Early menopause can be triggered by a specific event, such as a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, or other medical treatments.

However, even if you’ve never had reproductive issues, early menopause can happen to anyone who carries the right genes for it. If women in your family have a history of early menopause, chances are you may get it as well.

A mix of other medical factors can affect it, as well – lifestyle, having an obese BMI, smoking, autoimmune disorders, and more. If you believe you are experiencing early menopause, you should speak to a women’s healthcare professional.

How to Survive Menopause

If you’re in the right age range to experience menopause, and your period has stopped, you should begin to make your menopause plan.

Some of the physical symptoms will be easier to manage – for example, as referenced above, using lubricant during sex. You can also speak to a doctor about medications that will help you sleep on a regular schedule.

On the emotional side, it may be useful to seek out a therapist or other mental health professional to process the emotional changes you’ll soon experience. Even if the mood swings are temporary, they can have lasting effects on your psychological well-being and your relationships with others.

Finally, think about the long-term effects of menopause. Due to the waning presence of estrogen, postmenopausal women are more likely to experience bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The lack of estrogen causes the bones to become weaker and deteriorate.

To keep your bones strong and your body healthy, consider adding a supplement to your diet. SaveMyPenny.com offers a Menolabs coupon to get you started on the path to adding helpful vitamins and minerals to your routine.

More Women’s Healthcare Resources

It can be challenging to discuss menopause, but once you break the seal, it can be empowering. How many of your friends may be experiencing the same symptoms as you are? If you don’t talk about it, you’ll never know.

SaveMyPenny.com cares about women’s healthcare. For more resources and information on health and wellness topics, visit the Health section of our blog today.