Root Causes of Menopause Symptoms
For years before you have your final period, you may suffer a range of menopause symptoms, which can last as long as 10 years. From hot flushes to weight gain, this change can even increase your risk of health issues such as heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis.
Perimenopause symptoms start when your ovaries begin to produce less estrogen (as well as uneven levels of estrogen, hence the erratic periods). This happens gradually, until you’re producing so little estrogen that your ovaries give up releasing any more eggs. This makes periods stop too.
Menopause simply describes the point at which you haven’t had a period for a year or more, and it marks the end of your reproductive years. But for the vast majority of women it’s not that simple.
Hot Flushes and Night Sweats
The drop in estrogen levels affects the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. The hypothalamus mistakenly perceives the body as overheating and triggers the body’s cooling mechanisms, leading to hot flushes and night sweats.
Vaginal Dryness and Atrophy
Decreased estrogen levels result in changes to the vaginal and urethral tissues. The reduction in blood flow and thinning of the vaginal lining, known as vaginal atrophy, can cause dryness, itching, and discomfort during sex.
Menopause Mood Swings and Irritability Symptoms
Estrogen has an impact on neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, which play a role in mood regulation. The decline in estrogen – and some wild fluctuations – may contribute to imbalances in these neurotransmitters, leading to mood swings, irritability, and changes in emotional well-being.
Sleep Disturbances
Hormonal fluctuations, particularly a decrease in estrogen, can influence the sleep-regulating mechanisms in the brain. This disruption may result in difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restful sleep.
Estrogen modulates the activity of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is involved in mood regulation and sleep-wake cycles. It also influences the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Changes in estrogen levels can impact the balance of these neurotransmitters, potentially affecting sleep quality.
Estrogen appears to influence the different stages of sleep, including rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. Fluctuations in estrogen levels throughout the menstrual cycle may contribute to variations in sleep architecture, with some studies suggesting changes in REM sleep duration and latency.
Weight Gain and Changes in Body Composition
Estrogen plays a role in regulating body weight and fat distribution. There are two primary types of adipose tissue (fat) in the body: subcutaneous fat, which is located just beneath the skin, and visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs inside the abdomen. Estrogen influences the balance between these two types of fat.
- Fat contains estrogen receptors, and these receptors are particularly found in subcutaneous fat. When estrogen binds to these receptors, it promotes the storage of fat in subcutaneous areas rather than visceral areas.
- Estrogen also helps the body respond more effectively to insulin. Improved insulin sensitivity is associated with a reduced tendency for fat accumulation in visceral areas.
- Finally, estrogen promotes energy expenditure and a higher metabolic rate, which can help prevent excessive fat storage.
During menopause, estrogen levels decline, and this hormonal change is associated with a shift in fat distribution. Women may experience an increase in visceral fat, especially in the abdominal area. Visceral fat is metabolically active – in other words, it makes its own hormones – and has been linked to an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Excessive visceral fat is associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic disturbances. It is considered a risk factor for conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders. It also makes ghrelin, known as the “hungry hormone” as it stimulates your appetite.
Menopause Symptoms of Bone Loss and Osteoporosis
Estrogen has a protective effect on bone density by inhibiting the activity of cells that break down bone tissue (osteoclasts). The decline in estrogen levels during menopause can lead to increased bone resorption, potentially resulting in osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures.
Cognitive Changes – the Worst Menopause Symptoms?
Estrogen receptors are present in the brain, but we are still learning how it influences the way the brain works.
The reduction in estrogen levels may contribute to cognitive changes, including memory lapses and difficulty concentrating. Estrogen affects memory and concentration in a few ways. Estrogen helps control chemicals in our brain, like serotonin and dopamine, which influence our mood and focus. It also has a protective role, supporting the health of the brain cells that are essential for memory. By affecting the synapse connections between these cells, estrogen helps us learn and remember things.
It also improves blood flow to the brain, providing necessary nutrients for good cognitive function. Estrogen’s involvement in creating new brain cells and its potential impact on conditions like Alzheimer’s disease show just how vital it is for our brain health.
During menopause, when estrogen levels drop, it can lead to changes in how our brain works, underlining the hormone’s importance for our cognitive abilities. Scientists are still studying these connections to better understand how estrogen affects our thinking and memory.
At What Age Do Menopause Symptoms Start?
There’s no hard and fast rule as to what age any woman will reach menopause, though we have a fairly good idea, give or take a year or 10. According to the NHS, menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, the average age being 51.
But some women – around one in 100 – experience an early menopause, which is when they have their last period before they hit 40 (the medical term is premature ovarian insufficiency). Others can experience menopause symptoms as a result of having cancer treatment or after having their ovaries surgically removed.
When it comes to getting the best idea of when you’ll get to menopause, mother knows best! Researchers have discovered almost half of daughters reach menopause around the same age as their mums did. Studies also claim smoking, body weight, ethnicity and oral contraceptive history can influence when you have your last period.
Natural Ways to Control Menopause Symptoms
It’s a fact that menopause is inevitable for the majority of women. But for those who struggle with its symptoms there is a bright side. As medical and nutritional research progress, the number of options for easing the transition from pre-menopause to post-menopause and improving female quality of life are growing. And amen to that.
We know much more about medical treatments like HRT these days than we used to, which means this approach is more effective and safer now for lots of women. If, like 90% of women in Britain, you prefer to go down a more natural route, there are plenty of science-backed herbs and nutrients to help you.
VitaBright Can Help
Most women find the severity of individual symptoms varies over time, which is why they may use different forms of natural support through the years of perimenopause. Try browsing our product range by looking for the menopause symptoms that are currently the most severe for you.
