WHAT IS POST-MENOPAUSE?

Post-menopause is the period of time starting a year after the last menstrual period. At this stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen.

Symptoms experienced before menopause will now vary in terms of the severity, the intensity or the frequency. For some of you they may ease, while for others they could be felt more strongly. It even happens that symptom never experienced before menopause, suddenly appear during this new phase in which you enter. The main difference between peri-menopause and post-menopause is that the second one will last your entire life. Therefore, changes on your body must be understood over a much longer period of time. Whether to prevent from short, medium or long-term consequences thorough and regular consultations with a competent physician are essential to safely and confidently face this new passage of your life, which is completely natural.

SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES

Short-term consequences are usually, but not always, those you experienced during peri-menopause. Night sweats, hot flashes, sleep trouble or loss of libido during this phase, are unpredictable and will continue to affect you differently from time to time. In some cases, non-pharmacological treatments (healthy diet, exercise, herbals, cessation of alcohol and tobacco etc.) might not be enough. In this case, a talk with your practitioner may lead you to choose Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT), which can be very helpful for some of you.

MIDDLE-TERM CONSEQUENCES

• Fat distribution

To compensate for the loss of estrogen produced by the ovaries, the body stimulates adrenal glands, which increase the fatty tissue from which oestrogens is produced. This is why we often observe a distribution of fat especially in the abdominal and buttocks area. Don’t panic, a healthy, varied and proportionate diet will help your body to adapt to these changes so you will feel better and healthier.

• Genitourinary disorders

Loss of oestrogens sometimes leads to vulvovaginal atrophy with consequences such as vaginal dryness and discomfort, frequent and sudden urges to urinate, and even sometimes to stress urinary incontinence (leakage of urine during moments of physical activity). Vaginal flora could also be affected by these changes and thus increase the risks to contract mycosis, vaginosis or lichen planus. Fortunately, specific exercises and dermatological treatments can prevent from all these effects. In most of the cases good prevention and regular follow-up will give all the tools you need.

• Skin ageing and disorders

30% of skin collagen is lost during the first five postmenopausal years. This will directly affect your skin, hair and nails. However, you can boost the smoothness and hydration of your skin by improving your intake of foods rich in vitamin E, D and omega 3. You can also exercise as much as you can and give yourself a treat with beauty care that drastically reduces these changes.

LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES

• Musculoskeletal problems

Musculoskeletal symptoms characterized by backache, fractures from minor trauma, decreased height and mobility are common due to osteoporosis. Nowadays, osteoporosis is easy to prevent. Frequent physical exercise along with a proper intake of calcium and vitamin D can avoid most of risks. In case this is not enough, some very specific treatments still exist.

• Cardiovascular diseases

Oestrogens play a decisive role into the protection of the heart and all the cardiovascular system. As their level decreases, risks of higher blood pressure, bad cholesterol and stroke increase. The best way to prevent yourself from these risks is having a healthy diet, regular exercise and giving up bad habits such as tobacco and alcohol.

For each symptom there is a solution - whether pharmacological or not. And because each of you is unique, these solutions will depend completely on your specific needs and your will. Whatever the choice you make, it has to be individualized - and this is what you’ll figure out with the continued guidance and support of your practitioner.