The three stages of menopause
The increase in life expectancy makes women live long enough to experience important changes in their bodies, something that women of previous generations were unable to experience. Life is made of cycles, phases so intense that even the rock band Raimundos turned the subject into a national rock classic and made the country sing about the dilemmas and difficulties of living and living with those who face hormonal oscillations. Who doesn’t remember the song “Mulher de Fases” and the passage that says: “My son, hold on! Who told you to like this woman of phases?”
The climacteric is the entire transition period between the reproductive and non-reproductive phases of women. Although physicians are acquiring more and more knowledge in this regard, there is still much to be known, always with the aim of promoting better quality of life for women. After all, they live about a third of their lives in this phase!
The climacteric period is divided into three main stages: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. While all three are part of the same general life transition, they can cause different symptoms and therefore have different treatment options. Understanding each of the 3 climacteric phases can help health professionals to seek the most appropriate solutions to alleviate their patients’ symptoms, bringing more health and quality of life to women as they age.
The climacteric and its 3 phases
Now that you know the difference between climacteric and menopause, let’s talk about the differences between the three phases of climacteric: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
- The perimenopause
Perimenopause is the first stage of the climacteric and precedes menopause. It is at this stage that the hormonal and biological changes characteristic of this period begin. For you to understand better, it is in perimenopause that a gradual decrease in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries begins, for example. And it is the decrease in the level of this hormone that causes symptoms such as irregular menstruation.
Over time, the lower amount of estrogen will also be responsible for the appearance of other common symptoms of the climacteric period and menopause, such as hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, insomnia, vaginal dryness and a drop in libido. There is no fixed age for the onset of perimenopause, but the first signs usually appear around the age of 40. Perimenopause lasts about four years, but for some women this climacteric stage can last for months or persist for up to ten years.
- Menopause
Menopause is the official milestone of the end of the reproductive phase and is confirmed when 12 consecutive months occur without the presence of menstruation. In this phase, the end of ovarian follicular activity occurs, that is, the ovaries produce such a small amount of estrogen that the release of eggs no longer occurs. Only someone who can confirm the arrival of menopause is a gynecologist. For this, he uses clinical examinations and an individual assessment of the patient’s health.
There is also no single age for the onset of menopause. The most common is around age 50, but some people may go through this stage earlier depending on factors such as a family history of early menopause, having had their uterus removed, or having undergone cancer treatment. The arrival of menopause does not have to be synonymous with suffering, as many people think. In fact, it is a very significant phase and can be experienced with all energy and pleasure.
- Post-menopause
Few people know, but the climacteric does not end with menopause. This is because, in the post-menopausal period, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, drop in libido and vaginal dryness remain. These symptoms can even intensify at this stage and some people can experience them for up to ten years after menopause.
In this way, it is essential to maintain a healthy routine throughout this period, since several health complications are associated with post-menopause. An example is osteoporosis, caused by the decrease in mineral and bone density that occurs due to estrogen deficiency. Understanding how the three climacteric phases work is very important to alleviate these symptoms and ensure better health and quality of life as you age.
No self-medication!
A postmenopausal risk is believing that with stabilized symptoms, it is enough to continue buying hormones without medical reassessment. Dosages need to be reviewed and adjusted periodically.
It is a mistake to think that the same medication can be used for years on end. You’re already grown up and you know that self-medication is a huge health risk, right?
Remember: those who do hormone replacement therapy need permanent follow-up. Who doesn’t, too!
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