Debunking Menopause Myths

Regardless of being a pure stage in a girl’s life, there are lots of misconceptions about menopause. Lisbeth Chang, MD, an OB/GYN with Dignity Well being Medical Group — Northridge, debunks frequent menopause myths beneath.

For most girls, menopause is marked by the top of standard month-to-month menstruation. When this begins to occur, there are three phases of menopause:

Perimenopause happens years earlier than menopause and is marked by hormonal adjustments that influence common menstrual cycles and should trigger signs corresponding to sizzling flashes, temper swings and vaginal dryness.  
Menopause begins when a girl has stopped for menstruating for 12 consecutive months. 
Submit-menopause happens after menopause has been reached, signs start to decrease and marks the interval of life after a girl’s interval ends.

MYTH: The primary signal of menopause is sizzling flashesFor most girls, the primary signal of perimenopause is irregular or adjustments in durations and temper shifts. Sizzling flashes can occur throughout perimenopause, however they’re most frequently reported proper round menopause when your interval has fully stopped for 12 months and should proceed for the primary few years of post-menopause.

MYTH: Signs are solely physicalWhile there are bodily signs, menopause can even trigger temper adjustments and sleep disturbances, which might have an effect on your emotional well being. Hormonal adjustments throughout menopause may cause temper swings, irritability and nervousness. 

MYTH: Menopause begins at age 50According to the CDC, the typical age menopause happens is 45 to 55 years previous, however can differ from 40 to 60 years previous. You can begin menopause in your late 30s to your early 60s, however you aren’t formally in menopause till you have not had a interval for a full 12 months. 

MYTH: Signs final just a few yearsThe menopausal transition normally lasts about seven years, however could be so long as 14 years. The size of time girls expertise signs differ enormously. 

MYTH: The older you might be once you get your interval, the older you will be once you begin menopausePredicting the age at which you’ll begin menopause could be difficult, however there are clues that may assist offer you perception about once you may begin the transition. Elements corresponding to when your mom began menopause, what number of pregnancies you’ve had, medical situations, and in the event you drink or smoke can all have an effect on once you start perimenopause.  MYTH: You may’t get pregnantIt is unlikely, however you possibly can nonetheless get pregnant throughout a premenopausal interval. In the course of the perimenopause stage, blood ranges of hormones can each recede and in addition surge. This results in irregular durations and unpredictable ovulation cycles.

Key Takeaways

There are three phases of menopause and the time from pre-menopause to submit menopause could be upwards of 14 years.  
Menopause impacts everybody otherwise.
It’s vital to establish your particular signs to know how your physique is progressing by means of menopause. 
In case you are experiencing discomfort, it is best to seek the advice of your physician to seek out an individualized strategy to deal with your signs. Use our “Discover a Physician” software on dhmf.org to assist discover a Dignity Well being Medical Group doctor close to you.