Contemporary society views menopause as the time in an adult woman’s life when she experiences both the permanent ending (i.e., absence) of menstruation (i.e., menstrual periods) and the permanent inability to become pregnant. The main biological features of menopause in an adult woman, however, include all of the following:
• Permanent and significant reduction in production of estrogen by the ovaries. After estrogen levels peak when women are in their twenties, the amount of estrogen produced begins to decline. Therefore, the journey to menopause is a long voyage.
• Cessation of menstruation (unless caused by hormonal replacement therapy)
• Inability to become pregnant as a result of conception via sexual intercourse
• As menopause progresses, the production of certain other sex hormones (e.g., progesterone and testosterone) in the body decrease dramatically.
Because their ovaries no longer release a mature egg into the Fallopian tubes each month, post-menopausal women cannot become pregnant except by artificial fertilization techniques (e.g., implantation of fertilized eggs or embryos). Research developments have led to fertility clinics offering these services to post-menopausal, as well as pre-menopausal, women.
Menopause represents a natural transition in life. The lowered production of sex hormones can lead to some women experiencing certain of the following bodily changes (which are viewed as symptoms by mainstream medical community):
• Hot flashes (i.e., sensation of the body feeling extremely warm)
• Night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Thinning of the inner lining of the vagina
• Itching of the skin
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Loss of a sense of purpose in life
• Changes in clarity of thinking
• Lack of the usual amount of energy
• Osteoporosis (i.e., significant loss in the density of bone that can lead to fractures)
• Loss of libido, which can result from lowered production of testosterone
If you allow yourself a "time-out" (i.e., time for thinking about what is happening to you) to do a self-analysis, instead of considering menopause to be a medical mystery, your "inner doctor" (i.e., inside yourself) will give you wise advice, including:
• Answering, "What is my body saying to me?"
• Enjoying getting in touch with this chapter in my life
• Allowing my own wisdom to prevail, instead of immediately deciding to take a pill
• Talking to other women in menopause to discuss helpful approaches
• Going slower
• Being nice to myself
There are many lifestyle, medical, integrative and alternative medical approaches available to help ease many menopausal symptoms caused by insufficient levels of sex hormones. A support group of other women in menopause can be beneficial, as you and the other women can talk to discuss helpful approaches. See our Q&A called Management & Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms.
For a frank discussion of your options for treating menopausal symptoms, consult your integrative medicine physician, gynecologist, nutritionist, and your other healthcare professionals. When seeking medical advice regarding treatment options, make sure that your physician and other healthcare professionals know about your lifestyle preferences, beliefs, and desires.
During menopause, among the keys in being happy and healthy are to:
• View this as a new phase in your life, not as a medical condition
• Enjoy this time in your life
The wide range of lifestyle choices, alternative medical approaches, and integrative medical options available can help this new phase of your life to be active, pleasurable, and full.
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