Menopause is a natural stage in every woman’s life that they will encounter, except in cases where menstruation ceases due to surgery or illness. It happens as a result of decreased hormone levels, but the transition is not as simple as it sounds. Menopause can be accompanied by various signs and symptoms, ranging from mild to severe discomfort. Prior to reaching menopause, you will go through a phase called perimenopause, which happens before your periods stop, and your body begins preparing for menopause and hormonal changes. During this phase, you may experience perimenopause symptoms. Menopause is officially reached after you have not menstruated for 12 consecutive months.
What Age Does Menopause Start?
Menopause normally starts at the age range of 45 to 55 and the median age is 51. It still can differ for some women where they could go on menopause before or after that age range. You can start seeing the signs of menopause at the perimenopause before menopause actually begins.
What Are The Signs Of Menopause?
Since the perimenopause phase, you can see the signs of menopause and perimenopause at an earlier stage and these signs are anxiety, brain fog, irregular periods and hot flashes. These signs of menopause can affect your daily life because it starts at least a few years before you get into perimenopause and then menopause.
Menopause: Symptoms
The menopause symptoms differ for different women but the most common and basic symptoms would be hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and vaginal dryness. Most of the menopause symptoms are known to be mild for many women but it could be severe, uncomfortable and could disrupt daily activities for some women.
Menopause symptoms are as follows:
- Problems with sleep/Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Thinning and losing the elasticity of the vagina
- Dryness of vagina and irritation
- Dry skin and dry mouth
- Mood changes with anxiety, depression and stress
- Poor concentration or having brain fog
- Frequently having to experience UTIs
- Heart palpitations
- Severe headaches or migraines
- Muscle aches and pain in the joints
- Changes to the body shape including weight gain
- Reduced sex drive
- Problems with memory
- Hair loss and hair thinning
- Unwanted hair growth in other parts of the body
OTC Medication For Menopause
There are several OTC medications you can get for menopause symptoms. It is always recommended to talk to a healthcare professional before getting your OTC medications and you can contact us at Ranchlands Pharmacy whenever you need help with any medication. A few OTC medications to treat symptoms of menopause are:
- Vaginal discomfort – Water-based vaginal lubricant, silicone-based lubricant or moisturizer are some over the counter products you can get.
- Antihistamines: Some antihistamines can help relieve hot flashes and night sweats.
- For severe headaches and migraines- NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
- Dry skin – You can get OTC medication for dry skin which are moisturizing creams. You can get them through Ranchlands Pharmacy’s OTC products as well.
Contact us here at Ranchlands Pharmacy for more information and health advice on menopause!