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What Are Symptoms Of Late Menopause?

Most people have heard of menopause, but not everyone understands that there are different types of menopause, including menopause that can occur late, early and pre-menopause. It’s important to understand the ins and outs of menopause and how you can treat it when it happens to you.

- hot flashes (the most common menopause symptom, affecting about 85% of women)
- depression
- forgetfulness
- headaches
- inability to concentrate
- irritability
- mood swings
- chest pain
- palpitations
- sore breasts
- irregular/heavy bleeding
- vaginal dryness
- itchy vulva
- loss of sex drive
- slower sexual arousal
- painful intercourse
- abdominal bloating
- irritable bladder
- frequent bladder infection
- frequent urination
- increased facial hair
- thinning hair
- itchy skin
- brittle nails
- pins and needles
- sore muscles
- stiff/swollen joints
- back pain

The above are symptoms of menopause.  One of the biggest concerns amongst women are the bladder and vaginal problems they are too embarrassed to speak to their doctor about.

During and after menopause, estrogen levels continue to fall gradually until they stabilize at a new lower level. This means that vaginal dryness is usually not experienced until several years after menopause. The vaginal tissue depends on estrogen to keep it moist and healthy. In the absence of estrogen:

- the vaginal lining (mucosa) becomes thin and easily injured

- the mucus glands which help with lubrication decrease in number leading to slow and poor lubrication when you are sexually excited

- there is reduction in vaginal blood supply and the vagina shrinks (this is called vaginal atrophy). This causes small wounds which occur during intercourse to heal very slowly because of poor supply of nutrients from the blood

- the vagina becomes less acidic so you become more prone to bacterial and yeast infections

- the vulva (the area surrounding the entrance to the vagina) is usually involved in these changes and may become thin, dry and cracked

If you’re experiencing some of the above vaginal symptoms, it’s important you seek medical attention from your doctor so that he or she might be able to prescribe you a medicated cream which can help with your vaginal dryness.  Otherwise, if left untreated, it can make for a very uncomfortable lifestyle, including issues during and after intercourse. 

The biggest thing is that we need to be open and honest with your doctor.  Leave no stone unturned and make sure you’re telling him or her everything.  Don’t be embarrassed as this is what he or she has been trained for and believe me, they hear this sort of thing all the time.  Just remember that you’re not alone and that your doctor is there to help you. 

Tags: Late Menopause, symptoms, vaginal

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