Women’s Health in Brainerd, TN.

The average age for menopause is usually around 51 years of age. However, many women experience premature menopause and may notice symptoms as young as their thirties. These signs and symptoms of early menopause may indicate fluctuations in female hormones and some women may suffer from hot flashes, irritability, irregular periods, and weight gain. Although every woman is affected by hormonal changes differently, it is important for all women to understand the natural progression that causes change in their reproductive system. Find out more about women’s health care in Brainerd, TN.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

In premature menopause, women may experience irregular periods that cause progesterone to fluctuate and the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen. The body may react to these hormonal changes with hot flashes, especially at night when the body temperature normally increases to prepare for sleep. Although these fluctuations in female hormones may affect each woman in a different way, many experience night sweats, difficulty staying asleep, irritability, and an increase in fatigue.

Causes of Perimenopause

Perimenopause may be influenced by health factors, personal habits, and certain medications. Although it may be normal for certain women to experience menopause early in life, perimenopause has been linked to smoking, genetic diseases, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, a strict vegetarian diet, and a low body weight.

Menopause Information for Women’s Health Care in Brainerd, TN.

As your menstrual cycles become more unpredictable and irregular, the estrogen and progesterone levels will eventually drop so low that you no longer menstruate. At this point, women can no longer become pregnant. In addition, women who have both ovaries removed, as in a hysterectomy, may be considered in surgically induced menopause. After one year of experiencing the absence of a period, a woman is considered in menopause and begins to enter the postmenopausal phase.

Effects of Low Estrogen and Progesterone Levels

In the postmenopausal phase, estrogen and progesterone are responsible for other functions of the body and levels become so low that women are susceptible to bone loss, thinning of the skin and hair, and dryness of the vaginal and urinary tract. For some woman, the libido is affected, and sex may become less important, but the absence of the sexual drive may not be considered normal. If you feel that you need to learn more about menopause, perimenopause, or what treatments are available to you, ask you gynecologist and find out more information from womens health care in Brainerd, TN.