Extreme mood swings and irritability in women, when they are nearing 47, might be an indication that menopause is setting in. So don’t hit the panic button, as menopause is a natural process that every woman goes through and if dealt with properly, is just like any other phase of life.
“Menopause is when a woman’s ovaries stop performing their normal functions of producing female hormones oestrogen, and producing eggs completely,” said Dr. Duru Shah, Chairperson, Gynaecworld.
Speaking about the problems that women generally face during menopause, Dr Shah, said, “Oestrogen also help women in maintaining a good health, hair, skin, heart, bones, brain, and the urinary system. It also keeps the vagina well lubricated. So with a fall in oestrogen level, these organs face a deficiency and as a result the hair becomes brittle, wrinkles develop on their skin, they develop osteoporosis, increase in the frequency of urination and they may experience incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine) too. The heart may develop blockages in the blood vessels leading to problems like heart attacks.
Due to dryness in vagina, they may experience difficulty during intercourse. Women also put on weight during this period around waist region. All this
happens over a period of time.”
Doctors also say that the age at which menopause commences in Indian women, is lower than their Europe or American counterparts.
“For Indian women the age of menopause is at around 48, while for the European and American women it starts around 52. This might be because of genetic or racial differences. Studies have shown that difference in genetic make up, constitutional differences, differences in weather are some of the reasons for this age gap. It is also said that better nutrition delays the onset of menopause. However, in India itself, rural women experience menopause earlier than the urban women,” said Dr. Suman Bijlani, Director, Gyneguide.
Speaking about what exactly women undergo psychologically during this phase and what repercussion it might have, Dr. Anjali Chhabria, Psychiatrist, said, “Most men and women look at menopause as the end of the woman’s youth. There is a lot of fear about the problems associated with its onset. There are several physical changes, which lead to emotional problems. Women experience mood swings and become irritable. They suddenly find themselves incapable of dealing with situation, which they otherwise would have dealt with ease. Most women during menopause are dealing with teenage children or children who are going away. So, they are very emotional. They are depressed or anxious. And if this is not dealt with properly, then it can lead to marital discord. Also, due to lack of sleep, they might get addicted to sleeping pills or alcohol.”
Explaining the kind of role that a family should be playing under such circumstances, Dr. Chhabria, said, “The woman and her family should understand that she is undergoing a change. The family should be extremely supportive. The husband needs to be patient, and should not criticise or make fun of her. He should help her in dealing with the children. This should be dealt with appropriately, and a psychologist or a psychiatrist should be consulted if required.”
“All the symptoms can be treated easily with simple measures. Urinary problems can be treated with tablets, while incontinence can be treated with a one day surgery called Uretheral Sling/Tape surgery. Women just need to come out with their problems,” said Dr. Shah.
Symptoms:
- Irregular, delayed and light periods
- Lack of periods for a year
- Hot flushes: A result of a drop in oestrogen that leads to a trigger in the brain. It happens on the face where the woman sweats for around 15 minutes and is back after a few hours
- Insomnia due to hot flushes and frequent urination
- Decreased sex drive due to a decrease in oestrogen and androgen, and dry vagina, which leads to a painful intercourse
Tips:
- Take care of yourself right from the beginning
- Exercise well, eat healthy, maintain your weight, take calcium and go for annual check ups regularly
- In case of any symptoms, consult a gynaecologist immediately
Myth Busted:
At the age of 44 or 45 when women experience heavy bleeding and frequent periods, they assume it is menopause. But this is wrong. Menopause is associated only with light and irregular periods. If the periods are heavy and frequent then it is possible that the woman is suffering from some other problem.
- Dr Duru Shah
Andropause: the male counterpart of menopause
- Here the testosterone level goes down
- Post 30, every year the testosterone level falls by one per cent
- Not all men experience Andropause
- It generally sets in after the age of 60
- It affects the quality of life in the form of low sex drive, fatigue, poor erection, psychological and behavioural changes, loss of muscle in favour of fat, poor work and sex performance and decreased interest in sports