Menopause is a common health ailment in which a woman cannot have a menstrual cycle from 12 consecutive months and can no longer conceive a child naturally. This condition is termed Menopause, and it usually develops in a woman between the ages of 45 and 55, but this is not a specific ratio; Menopause can also begin before or after this age range.
Menopause is harmless and doesn’t require medical treatment. But it can cause some uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes and weight gain.
According to reports, around 0.3 percent of women below 30 years of age in India were in natural Menopause.
What are the symptoms of Menopause?
Age factor is often a primary cause in which female sex hormone levels go down naturally as you get older. With no longer menstrual cycle, the ovaries stop releasing eggs, and women no longer have periods to get pregnant. Many women have experienced some common symptoms, which may include the following-
- Chills
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Irregular periods
- Sudden weight gain
- Slowed metabolism
- Thinning hair
- Dry skin
- Loss of breast fullness
- Vaginal dryness
Signs or symptoms are not necessarily to be the same. Most likely, women experience irregular periods before they end. Skipping periods is ordinary and expected. Often, you may skip your periods for a few months and return. What are the causes of Menopause?
What are the causes of Menopause?
There are several factors that can cause Menopause ranging from medical to natural. Here we’ve listed some common conditions that can result in Menopause, which include the following-
Naturally declining functioning of reproductive organs
As you reach your late 30s, your ovaries start producing less progesterone and estrogen ( hormones that are responsible for regulating menstruation) and wane your fertility. Around the age of 40 to 45, you might have irregular menstrual cycles; it may become shorter or longer with an excessive or light flow. At your 50s- your ovaries might stop releasing eggs, and you will no longer have periods.
You might have had an oophorectomy ( surgery that detaches the ovaries)
Your ovaries play a core process in pregnancy; it produces hormones like progesterone or estrogen (responsible for your monthly menstrual cycle). OOphorectomy can lead to Menopause, where you will no longer have periods and can’t get pregnant. You might also likely have hot flashes that confirm Menopause. If you underwent a hysterectomy ( surgery that removes the uterus), then you might not have immediate Menopause, but you’ll no longer have monthly menstrual cycles.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer therapy that can only affect your ovaries if your ovaries are exposed directly to radiation. Radiation at any other part of the body won’t affect Menopause.
Primary ovarian insufficiency
According to reports, around 1 % of women around the world have premature Menopause before the age of 40. Premature Menopause is a normal health ailment in which your ovaries lose the ability to produce hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Premature Menopause can stem from certain genetic disorders or autoimmune diseases.
What are the complications of having Menopause in women?
Women during Menopause have to suffer many physical complications, which may include the following-
- Cataracts
- urinary incontinence heart or blood vessel diseaseVulvovaginal atrophy
- Feeling pain during sexual intercourse
- Sudden mood swings or emotional changes
- Osteoporosis ( Weakening of bones with less stress and mass)
- Periodontal disease
- Weight gain
why does Menopause occur
Menopause is a natural process that occurs in your late 40s and 50s in which your ovaries gradually stop producing reproductive hormones. The loss of ovarian follicles (the structure that releases eggs from the ovary wall) affects the menstrual cycle and fertility. It’s worth undergoing medical treatment if you’re having irregular periods and hot flashes and below 30 years of age. In some cases, Menopause induced due to surgery or intense injury can cause reproductive hormones.
Home remedies and lifestyle modifications
Ayurveda offers a plethora of natural therapies that can eradicate minor to major menopause symptoms naturally, without administering any foreign substance. You can purge Menopause by using simple and effective home remedies, lifestyle changes, and ayurvedic treatments. Here are some home-based tips for managing Menopause.