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Once you’ve reached menopause, you’ve experienced it all, from hot flashes and night sweats to mood swings and years of irregular periods. And let’s not forget all the hair you may have lost while your hormones fluctuated (if so, here are some great tips) hair growth products for women to regain your self-confidence). And while most of these symptoms should disappear soon, there are even more, lesser-known symptoms that could be coming your way.
For starters, you may experience bladder changes, brain fog, and sexual health problems. But don’t worry – while none of this may sound like a walk in the park, there are treatment options that can help you feel more like yourself again.
We spoke with Dr. Karen Tanga board-certified gynecologist, to find out what’s happening to your body now that you’ve reached postmenopause and what you can do about it. Check this out for more information best hair growth vitamins and supplementsaccording to experts.
How do you know if you are in menopause?
If you haven’t had a period for twelve consecutive months, give yourself a pat on the back because you’ve finally reached the milestone of menopause. However, this doesn’t count if you use medications like birth control to stop your period, Tang tells AOL.
And while you may have experienced perimenopause symptoms such as hot flashes in recent years, these should subside as you transition into postmenopause, the final stage of menopause that you will remain in for the rest of your life.
“People actually feel more symptoms during perimenopause than when they are actually in full menopause,” Tang explains. So that’s something to look forward to now that you’ve fully made the transition.
And if you’re still experiencing symptoms like hot flashes, here are some products and tips to stop them.
Symptoms you may experience now that you are postmenopausal
One surprising symptom that’s actually relatively common is poor sleep, says Tang. “Women may have trouble falling asleep and wake up a lot during the night.” This could be due to the new bladder changes (more below) causing you to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, as well as any persistent hot flashes and night sweats.
You may also experience brain fog, including memory problems and concentration problems. At work, this can impact your ability to focus on your workload, and some women end up dropping out of the workforce, says Tang.
Once you enter menopause, you will likely find that you no longer have any interest in sex because your estrogen levels have dropped significantly. Low libido can lead to more difficulty achieving orgasm and vaginal dryness, which can cause pain during sex and even bleeding, Tang explains.
With menopause comes changes in your bladder, including the urge to urinate more often. As a result of these changes, Tang notes, you can get urinary tract infections because the tissue becomes dry and fragile, making it easier for bacteria to enter.
Finally, you may experience muscle pain, especially in your feet, knees and joints.
How to treat menopause symptoms
If the above symptoms begin to interfere with your quality of life, there are treatment options that can help you.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: You can take a combination of estrogen and progesterone in patch or pill form, or it can be given vaginally, says Tang. You could also submit an application cream or gel directly into your vagina, or have a vaginal ring inserted.
Non-hormonal options: If you’re not interested in taking hormones, or if you can’t because of a medical condition, Tang says there are non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes. For example, she notes a drug called Veozah which “acts on the receptors in the brain to help with hot flashes.” If you’re still experiencing mood symptoms, she says antidepressants can help.
Ask your doctor about supplements: Tang likes the Center’s line of menopause support supplements, noting that they “help with things like hot flashes in a non-hormonal way.” There is a multivitamin with non-soytoestrogens, which act like estrogen but contain no hormones, that helps with hot flashes, she explains. The other multivitamins can improve your sleep quality and help bring back your focus and clarity caused by brain fog.
Excercise: With menopause comes weight gain and… more belly fatsays Tang, and that’s because of all the metabolic changes happening in your body. If you notice the pounds piling on, she recommends increasing strength training to increase the muscle mass you may have lost during the transition to menopause.
Use lubrication during sexual activities: Vaginal dryness is a common symptom after you reach menopause, but Tang says lubrication can help with the dryness and make sex less painful.
Invest in good hair growth products: If you are still losing a lot of hair, you may want to start using it hair growth products designed for women to prevent hair loss and thinning hair.
Are there any longer-term concerns for postmenopausal women?
Yes, there are concerns to keep in mind after you enter menopause. “As time goes by, people begin to face more medical risks, such as heart disease and osteoporosis, or thinning bones, which can increase the risk of bone fractures,” Tang explains.
Over time, the urogenital symptoms of menopause — the bladder and vaginal symptoms mentioned above — can worsen, as can the health of your bones and heart if you don’t treat them, she says. But she notes that making lifestyle changes can help — for example, checking in with a doctor regularly to monitor your heart, cholesterol and bone health, and talking about exercise and diet.
As for symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, they usually improve within a few years of entering menopause, she says. So you shouldn’t experience that when you’re 90 years old (phew!).