Prepare for menopause by knowing what to expect

A women overlooking the window. Photo | FREESTOCKPHOTOZ.BIZ

What you need to know:

  • At that age most of her friends were either pregnant or had recently given birth. But for Ms Ether, now 55, she’s glad it happened when it did.

Ms Esther Filemon, a business woman based at Kinondoni, hit menopause when she was 45. At that age most of her friends were either pregnant or had recently given birth. But for Ms Ether, now 55, she’s glad it happened when it did.

“By that time [45], I already had four children and I wasn’t necessarily thinking of not wanting any more children.

It was a good thing I went through it then, because now I don’t have to worry about things other women have to worry about,” says Ms Esther.

Although women like Esther are aware that at some point in life they will experience menopause, most women like herself are not aware of what to expect when that biological clock starts to tick.

According to health experts, menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period.

Dr Kitapondya Deus, a Resident at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied sciences (MUHAS) describes menopause as the cessation of menstruation due to end of ovarian/follicular activities.

According to him, ovaries are organs which are responsible to produce the eggs monthly leading to the monthly bleeding. Ovaries are also responsible for the production of reproductive hormones. “When these hormones stop being produced, everything changes from cessation of bleeding, unexpected psychological events like depression, panic, metabolic effects, bone erosion and sometimes cardiac diseases,” says Dr Deus.

He further explains that studies have shown that at the age of 51 where most women have ceased to bleed, cases of cardiovascular event increase in females than in males. Not all women who experience menopause can be affected, similarly only 75 per cent of them can be affected by such changes and are affected at different degrees.

What to expect?

Ms Esther was never prepared for the changes that came with menopause. “The symptoms I had were hot flashes [sudden feelings of warmth, which are usually most intense over the face, neck and chest], trouble sleeping and changes in physical appearance and mood. For me, hot flashes were the worst.

I was in a constant state of fear for hot flashes coming unexpectedly, and that was really frustrating and difficult,” she says.

There are things that are to be expected but as said earlier not all women undergoing menopause can be affected. Similarly, each woman’s experience is different from the other.

Dr Fredrick Mashili, a Physiologyist at MUHAS tells Your Health that change in hormones caused by a decline in oestrogen level [female sex hormone], that leads to menopause plays a very big role in a number of changes that occurs during that time.

“Presence of oestrogen protect women with a lot things during their livelihood, thus lower level of oestrogen that is changes in hormones makes women more prone to diseases. A good example is Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Most women who are on menopause are at higher risk of developing NCDs such as cardiovascular dieseases,” he explains. Here are some of the things to expect, according to Dr Mashili.

Osteoporosis is quite common in women during menopause. This condition causes bones to become brittle and weak, leading to an increased risk of fractures.

He explains, “During this period, a simple fall can cause more fracture, this is because the bones become very weak. Again, this is attributed to low level of oestrogen since its presence contributes a lot towards strong bones.”

The skin begins to get rough and dry. Oestrogen contributes to smooth skin in women. When its level drops, the skin tends to become rough.

Vaginal dryness should be expected from decreased moisture production and loss of elasticity. This causes discomfort and slight bleeding during sexual intercourse, also decreased sensation may reduce desire for sexual activity.

Further elaborating on what to be expected, Dr Emmanuel Mduma, a medical doctor at Arusha Lutheran Medical Center (ALMC) said mood swings that can sometimes lead to depression and anxiety are very common.

“Headaches, insomnia and hot flashes are also very common during menopause including weigh gain,” informs Dr Mduma.

But the good news, according to Dr Mduma, is that all the changes that are associated with menopause are temporary.

What should be done?

According to Dr Mduma, osteoporosis can be dealt with by taking food rich in calcium to help with weak bones. Food intake should be regulated by consuming balanced diet to ensure that weight is maintained.

With vaginal dryness, he explains that this should be discussed with a partner to make them aware of the changes that are happening.