At mere mention of the word menopause, women often feel a chill down their spines because they know that when the Big Change comes, which is another term for this stage in a woman's life, there will be a lot of changes in the body along with annoying symptoms. A lot of women actually fear the months and years prior to menopause because this stage is when women feel symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, weight gain and many others. And all these are brought about by the decline of female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Although majority of women feel challenged by the maddening and irritating signs of menopause, the real problem can actually come after the change. The decline in levels of estrogen in the body can actually lead to several complications and serious conditions. The following are some of the most common menopausal complications.
Urinary Problems
Aside from higher risk of urinary tract infection recurrence, women who are postmenopausal should also be prepared for problems with incontinence. Since the tissues in a woman's urethra and vagina become less elastic at the age of 50 or 60, she might find it hard to hold or control urination. More and more women complain of the sudden bursts of urine while coughing, lifting objects, laughing and similar activities. Some even say that their urge to urinate becomes unbearable after menopause.
Cardiovascular Diseases
One serious effect of the decline in estrogen levels is the increased risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Aside from being a sex hormone, estrogen plays an important role in women's health. This hormone helps minimize blood pressure by opening and smoothing out the blood vessels. Studies also show that the levels of bad cholesterol can increase as soon as the levels of estrogen dip down. This is the reason why women who are over 51 years old become more prone to stroke, heart diseases and blood pressure problems.
Bone Loss and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease wherein bones become weak, brittle and more susceptible to fracture. A few years after the cessation of menstruation, women lose bone density at a very quick rate. In fact, over 30% of women at age 65 have osteoporosis, while over 70% have it at age 80. If you want to minimize your risk of osteoporosis when you reach the age of menopause, you better quit smoking now and start exercising and eating healthy.
Mental Decline
Studies have shown that estrogen has a profound effect on the mental faculties of women. It seems that this hormone helps prevent loss of memory and decline in cognitive functions which are associated with aging. In fact, experts say that estrogen prompts the production of serotonin and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitters that are absent or exhausted in patients who are suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Free radicals are also believed to be responsible for the development of Alzheimer's. Since estrogen is also considered as an antioxidant, which fights the proliferation of free radicals in the body, the decline in the levels of this sex hormone might contribute to the rise of free radicals in the brain and the eventual development of Alzheimer's.
Vision Problems
Scientists have proven that progesterone and estrogen can shield against cataracts. They also believe that estrogen can help minimize the risk of serious vision problems like macular degeneration and glaucoma.
In order to help avert the signs of menopause and deal with the declining levels of estrogen during post-menopause period, you can take supplements that contain phytoestrogen or plant-based substances that mimic the role of estrogen in the body. One product that you might want to try is Menersa.
