Women used to not talk about menopause, but now they talk openly about symptoms. Image: Sophie Donaj
Not only hot flashes, but also sleep disorders and even depressive moods can accompany menopause. What helps against this? And when does hormone therapy make sense? We clarify the most important questions.
What does the term “menopause” actually mean?
The term menopause, medically known as “climacteric”, refers colloquially to the period of hormonal change between the ages of 40 and 60 in a woman. On average, women have their last period – menopause – at the age of 51. Much earlier, usually around the early 40s, during premenopause, a woman’s ovaries produce fewer and fewer hormones until they finally stop functioning completely during perimenopause – the time around the last menstrual period. There are also women who are in perimenopause before they are 20 or 30, often without realizing it. This is usually due to primary ovarian insufficiency.
How do you know when you’re going through menopause?
Hot flashes are the most well-known and common symptom of menopause. However, they are often not the first. At first, your cycle becomes more irregular, you may sleep less, suffer from mood swings or have joint pain. “The transition to menopause can be very subtle,” explains Petra Stute, deputy chief physician in the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the Women’s Clinic and head of the Menopause Center at the Inselspital Bern. “Especially at the beginning, the symptoms are often very difficult to categorize because they are not a permanent condition and you can feel well again in between.” This is because hormone levels are subject to strong fluctuations, especially during premenopause and perimenopause.