Key points:
- The age at which menopause occurs varies in each woman, ranging from 47 to 54 years.
- There are more than 91 different symptoms that women can have during climacteric.
- From the age of 40, women can have diseases that will be affected by menopause or climacteric.
Menopause and climacteric occur in every woman, which will trigger hormonal changes, says Dr. Claudio Góngora Lastra, endocrine gynecologist and a climacteric specialist at ABC Medical Center.
Menopause is your last period, while climacteric encompasses all this process of changes before, during, and after menopause. Although the age of menopause varies in each woman, it can start between 47 years and up to 54.
“Hormonal changes associated with menopause can affect the physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. The symptoms experienced during and after the menopausal transition varies greatly from person to person. While some women experience few or no symptoms, others may experience severe symptoms that affect their daily activities and reduce their quality of life. In some cases, symptoms can last for several years.”1
The causes of climacteric and menopause are due to the decrease in sex hormones: estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Given the decrease in these hormones, the woman’s body will begin to change.
What symptoms does the climacteric have?
The symptoms that a woman can perceive during climacteric are very varied; up to 91 different symptoms have been registered, but among the most common are:
- Visual disturbances
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Dizziness
- Dry skin
- Fluid retention
While vasomotor symptoms, those that regulate the caliber of blood or lymphatic vessels, include:
- Sleep disturbances
- Hot flashes
- Lack of focus
- Incontinence or other urinary disturbances
- Flushing sensation
Among all the symptoms, the most common are hot flashes, which are considered a heat stroke caused by a failure in the brain’s regulation of body temperature, which was achieved with the help of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone; but when it begins to decrease in the body, the brain does not know how to regulate the temperature, resulting in annoying hot flashes.
Climacteric can occur up to five years before menopause and remain up to 15 years after it, that is, for up to two decades. Because of this, it is very important to receive timely medical attention.
As a woman, you should pay attention to your periods and notice if they are having changes such as changes in color, duration, or smell. If you perceive one, or several, of these changes, it may mean that you are approaching the beginning of your climacteric.
If you have the slightest suspicion that you are entering climacteric or menopause, it is important that you see your doctor to detect the symptoms and determine if they are related or not. If so, they will make some recommendations and even indicate the specialized treatment or, if necessary, refer you to another specialist.
Dr. Góngora points out that each case is unique and, therefore, the treatment you will receive will also be unique. From the age of 40 new diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure can occur; which, together with the symptoms of menopause or climacteric, can worsen. For this reason, it is of great importance that you don’t miss your general check-ups.
Something very important to keep in mind is that climacteric and menopause are completely normal stages in your life, and the first step to cope with them is to have a positive attitude, eat well, rest, exercise, and go to your medical checkup.
At the ABC Medical Center Women’s Center, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuente:
Dr. Claudio Góngora Lastra – Endocrine gynecologist specializing in climacteric
https://youtu.be/ZbPjQDEMxcM
1 https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause
