We are all unique – but there is one thing that no woman can avoid: menopause. They are divided into three phases. Find out where you personally (maybe) stand – and how you can calmly accept the hormonal change and live through it with well-being.
At some point in every woman’s life, her egg supply runs out and her cycle gets confused. With first episodes.
Table of Contents
Phase 1: Before menopause (premenopause): Something changes in the body
Cycle fluctuations
As a harbinger of the menopause ,Cycle-related symptoms such as headaches or abdominal cramps can suddenly become more intense and the bleeding heavier. If you keep a cycle calendar over a long period of time, in which you enter the “days” and also changes that you perceive in yourself, this can help clarify where you stand.
Night sweats Night
sweat attacks are a typical symptom of this phase . We usually don’t associate this with the approaching menopause, after all, the sweating could also be due to the weather or an infection.
PMS and the moods
A sentence that is now often heard in the gynecologist’s office: “I’m suddenly so joyless.” Some feel increasingly imbalanced and thin-skinned – without really knowing why. Herbal chaste tree preparations (e.g. “Agnus castus Stada”, available in pharmacies) canalleviate many menstrual cycle symptoms in the pre-menopausal phase .
Contraception
The risk of thrombosis and heart attack increases with age. If there are additional risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, unfavorable blood lipid levels, obesity), it may make sense to switch to an estrogen-free progestin pill or the hormone spiral instead of a combination pill. Because orally taken estrogen promotes the tendency to clot.
Phase 2: During menopause: Mysterious menopause
In the time before and after the last menstrual period, there is a real chaos of hormones. These are the typical complaints – and what helps against them .
Breast tenderness, water retention
In the early stages of menopause, estrogen levels are often too high. This can lead to water retention. As a result, swollen joints and breasts, which are particularly sensitive to touch, hurt. Sport can help – and buying a perfectly fitting bra.
Hot flashes, sweating
Estrogen plays a large part in enabling the heat center in the brain to regulate body temperature. With the low estrogen levels towards the end of the menopause, the system gets confused and the dreaded heat flares occur out of the blue. Spend a lot of time in the fresh air and wear natural textiles in a layered look.
Sleep disorders
Estrogen withdrawal symptoms also include having difficulty falling asleep or waking up at night and then lying awake for a long time. Relaxation techniques and active herbal ingredients such as lavender oil (e.g. in “Lasea”) or the trio of valerian, St. John’s wort and passion flower (e.g. in “Neurapas”, both available in pharmacies) can provide gentle relief.
Joint and muscle problems
Estrogen also affects pain conduction, blood flow and the metabolism of joints and bones. Pain in the musculoskeletal system can therefore be traced back to the drop in estrogen. With an individually adapted hormone treatment, these symptoms also go away.
Phase 3: After the menopause (postmenopause): Finally done with it
Quitting time! The body finally stops producing estrogen and calm returns.
Osteoporosis
Estrogen prevents bone breakdown. But you also need calcium and vitamin D. Hard cheese and mozzarella contain plenty of calcium, and mineral water with a calcium content of over 400 mg/l (check the label) is also a good source. Genetic factors and what life was like before menopause are also decisive: thyroid problems and the intake of cortisone are considered risk factors. The bone, on the other hand, remains more stable under load. So if you move throughout your life, you do a lot for strong bones in old age.
Dry (mucous) skin
Your skin now needs richer care because it is becoming thinner and drier and its natural protective function is decreasing. Vaginal dryness is really painful. To continue being sexually active, get a prescription for low-dose topical estriol.
Bladder problems
Because estrogen, an important supporter of the immune system, is lost, vaginal or bladder infections and urinary incontinence occur more frequently. But you don’t have to accept that. Talk to your doctor about it, low-dose hormones can counteract this.
Hardening of the arteries
At a young age, women are much less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than men – because the estrogen protects them from deposits in the vessels. Because it is missing now, the risk increases. Stay physically active and eat a balanced diet.
