What happens in the body during menopause?

There are major changes in the body during menopause, but they are not the same in all women. Not to go too far, a study published by the British magazine Climateric notes that There are differences between Latinas and Asians, with respect to European and American ones.

According to that publication, menopause takes place at 48.6 years, on average, among Latinas. In Asians, it generally occurs between 42.1 and 49.5 years. For women in North America, the average age is 50.5 to 51.4 years. Finally, the European usually start menopause between 50.1 and 52.8 years.

What does happen very often in all of them is that changes in the body during menopause cause instability and, in many cases, apprehension. It shouldn't be that way. With the current life expectancy, menopause is not an entry into old age, but in the middle of life.

What is menopause?

Menopause is the end of a woman's reproductive age. It is a stage of hormonal transition that is accompanied by various changes in the body.

Menopause is simply the passage from the fertile to the non-fertile stage, in the life of a woman. During this transition an important hormonal modification takes place. That is the main reason why so many changes occur in the body during menopause.

The central fact of this process is the disappearance of the menstrual cycle. This usually does not happen suddenly. The period begins to be irregular and somewhat chaotic: it disappears and then returns, without any particular pattern. This is the case for a while, until it is definitely interrupted.

Only 12 months after menstruation has stopped the woman is considered to have entered menopause. Sometimes this change is caused by external factors, such as the removal of the ovaries or the uterus, as well as the consequence of some diseases.

During puberty, with the first menstrual cycle, large changes occur in the anatomy of a woman. The same goes for the body during menopause. Both one and the other, they involve physical and psychological transformations that are determined by hormones.

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Changes in the body during menopause

Hormonal modifications lead to massive changes in the body during menopause. It is very common that the first signs of these changes begin to be detected before the menstrual cycle stops. They include typical symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Also, effects begin to occur in the brain, bones, muscles and skin. When estrogen production ceases completely, The impact on the bones is even greater. These tend to weaken noticeably and make women more vulnerable to fractures.

A decrease in collagen occurs in the skin and this causes dryness and loss of smoothness. The distribution of body fat is also modified. At this stage it is common for the silhouette to become a little thicker. It is common for fat to accumulate more in the stomach and legs, especially in sedentary women.

Another change in the body during menopause has to do with the decreased genital lubrication, which leads to vaginal dryness. Therefore, sexual intercourse can become uncomfortable. Alterations in bladder function are also common.

Also read: Urine losses during menopause

Other data of interest

Inevitably, menopause is accompanied by many changes in the woman's body. However, leading a healthy lifestyle can help counteract it.

Most females in the animal kingdom do not present this type of change. They are fertile all their life. Only humans and killer whales, in addition to some other cetaceans, go through this change. It is an evolutionary fact. After a certain age, the risk of producing defective eggs increases and nature prevents this from happening.

Women during menopause also have increased risk of developing circulatory and cardiovascular problems. However, this and other changes can be adequately circumvented if a healthier lifestyle is adopted. This includes healthy eating and exercising regularly.

Although all these changes in the body during menopause can cause you some level of unease, the truth is that they could also represent modifications that can play in your favor. Once you adapt and manage to manage the symptoms, things can be positive for you.

Menopause is a call to take care of yourself, which is very positive. It also strips you of the instabilities that occur with menstruation and premenstrual syndrome. Likewise, the absence of fertility gives you greater sexual freedom, if you wish. It is a new stage that can be interesting and enriching.