8 Menopause Misconceptions

There is no question that perimenopause begins a new stage associated with a women’s life. For one thing, women in menopause do not ovulate, do not have periods and cannot become pregnant. Which, in itself, is really a huge change – particularly when you consider that the average female begins menstruating at age twelve and also the average age for a female starting menopause is actually 51. You’ve already been fertile for a large portion of your life – and now things are certain to be different.

However, that does not mean it’s a bad thing. Actually, many women discover that the post-menopausal years are many of the best years of their entire life. No menstrual cycle. Sex without the worry of contraception. Much more freedom to perform the things you like once the children have left home.

8 Myths About Menopause and Perimenopause Debunked

Naturally, hormone variances come in many forms. Menopause may come with much fewer desirable results – such as abdominal bodyweight that is more difficult to lose or even diminished genital lubrication. The good thing? Most of the unfavorable menopause symptoms are totally manageable having an open, positive mindset accompanied by a good OBGYN!

Listed below are 8 myths about perimenopause that may change the way you consider the experience, along with helping you to arrange for and handle perimenopause as well as menopause when they come along for you.

Never hesitate to contact Jill Gibson, MD when symptoms arise. She provides compassionate, quality gynecology. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 985-898-5990 today.

  1. Menopause will start at 50. Here’s a typical one. While it’s correct that the typical age of perimenopause is 50, women are a little bit uncertain of what perimenopause actually is. Menopause is actually diagnosed whenever you haven’t experienced a period for 12 successive months. But there’s a great deal that happens just before that point — typically confirmed by widely recognized menopause signs and symptoms such as abnormal periods, overlooked periods, hot flashes, evening sweats, frustration, changes in sex drive, weight gain, increased abdominal bodyweight, etc. Most of these things may take place throughout several years or even more leading up to menopause, which means this typically starts when females are actually in their 40s. This particular “gearing up” phase is known as perimenopause.
  2. You are likely to gain weight in menopause. Yes, decreasing estrogen results in a collapse of your metabolic process. However, the slowdown is not anything a balanced, healthy diet and routine workouts can’t manage. As you strategize menopause, it is important to make certain you’re really cutting back on all those prepared carbs as well as white sweet additives that will pack mass on an entire body that desires to keep blood glucose balanced. Whenever you find the “sweet spot” developed by a higher-protein, lower-carb diet plan, your sugar cravings will certainly diminish. Change white flour products into whole wheat variations, focus on consuming whole foods, vegetables and fruits and bypass the highly processed snacks and also fast foods. Consume more water, fruit-infused in case that helps, and give up sweetened beverages drastically. Then, ensure you’re working out for at least 30-minutes, three to four times a week. A brisk stroll is just as good, but stability training along with resistance training to enhance muscle mass along with bone thickness, the former which helps increase metabolic rate!
  3. The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flashes. This is definitely the one that has the most interest, but not all women experience as many of them. Or a few women encounter very moderate versions that don’t disrupt their living at all. Similarly, common is actually disruption within sleep patterns. When you observe that your menstrual cycle is lighter or even that you are skipping these altogether, begin establishing a set nighttime rest pattern along with a set bedtime. This can help a person who experiences insomnia. Adding much more rigorous physical exercise into your day to day routine can also assist. If you do not exercise as you should, allow it to be a priority trying to mix it up. Should you be a swimmer, try including an aerobic or yoga course into the program. This change will work in different groups of muscles, which gives a better exercise and will cause you to be more exhausted.
  4. You won’t produce hormones after menopause. It is not that the body does not produce bodily hormones, it will restructure the type and quantity of hormones it can produce. The greatest changes result from the levels associated with estrogen a female will generate, which makes sense because pre-menopausal females need more hormones to remain suitable for reproduction. Once you have hit perimenopause, ovarian hormonal production is reduced. The majority of your own estrogen and progesterone tend to be produced by the particular adrenal glands. This decrease in female hormone production is what plays a role in incontinence too.
  5. Your sex drive is gone after menopause. All of us can’t deny that our hormones impact sex drive. We all also cannot deny that a decrease in genital lubrication as well as thinning walls, which will make sex much more uncomfortable, are also adding factors. After that, there is the undeniable fact that you may be tired because a lot of women go through perimenopause with a home full of young kids and/or teens. Plus, you might have been together with your partner for a decade or longer. So, what is responsible for the deficiency of libido? Difficult to say. The things we do know is the fact that when you feel good about yourself, your partner, as well as your relationship, and when you are well-rested and also well-lubricated, your sex drive will be increased.
  6. Hormone replacement is dangerous. It is not hormone replacement treatment that is harmful – it is the unregulated as well as unmonitored hormone replacement remedies that can possess consequences. In case your menopause signs and symptoms seem to be much more dramatic compared to normal or even if they negatively impact your life, hormonal production therapy may have wonderful outcomes. The key is to utilize a doctor who uses the minimal amount of hormones to produce results – after which you’ll be gently weaned off of to see if the body finds its own healthy stability once you have officially started menopause.
  7. Menopause is a horrible time. Look around at the number of vibrant females in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. You will quickly understand it’s time for you to forget these particular menopause misconceptions. For many of our own patients, the actual confidence, self-understanding, wisdom and also freedom that accompanies perimenopause are really worth every single one of the physical attributes that are associated. The best way to create a smooth changeover from middle-age to perimenopause is to be around energetic and empowered ladies. Find an OBGYN who will work with you when the time arises.
  8. Hormone Replacement Therapy Will Cause Breast Cancer. Studies performed by The Women’s Health Initiative show that women who used oral hormones were at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. But a ten-year study of women on a regimen of hormone therapy found that only 1 in 967 patients in the study developed breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer for all women is 1 in 9. Source: US National Library of Medicine

Jill Gibson, MD is committed to excellence in women’s healthcare. She cares for women in all stages of life – adolescence, childbearing, perimenopausal and menopausal. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 985-898-5990 today.