When am I going through menopause?

Your periods become irregular, you notice that you sometimes react differently than usual... and you wonder: could I be going through menopause?

If you haven't menstruated in the last 12 months, you can confidently say that your last period has occurred. However, the actual menopause begins before this. Menopause is a natural process that every woman experiences. As no more eggs mature in your ovaries, the production of the female hormone oestrogen decreases. Oestrogen affects numerous functions in your body, such as your heart, blood vessels, bones, head, breasts, and bladder. Therefore, your body must adjust to the changing oestrogen levels.

These natural changes in your body can lead to a reaction from the organs, resulting in so-called menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, and depressive episodes. Research has shown that 80% of all women experience symptoms during menopause.

The timing of when menopause begins varies for each woman and is usually between the ages of 45 and 55, with outliers from the age of 30 to 70. Menopause lasts on average 5 to 10 years, but it can also be over in 1 year.

Fewer Symptoms in Asia

Epidemiological research has shown that dietary and lifestyle habits can play an important role in the extent to which menopausal symptoms occur. Women in Asian countries seem to suffer much less from menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis (as a result of reduced hormone levels) than women in European countries. The main reason for this could be the high consumption of soy. Soy contains nutrients (phytoestrogens) that are very similar to female oestrogen and are believed to have a positive effect on menopausal symptoms. Currently, various studies are being conducted on these phytoestrogens, which experts cautiously consider as an alternative to conventional hormone therapy for mild symptoms. Feel free to ask your Vitamin Store staff for advice.

Am I Going Through Menopause?

Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether your symptoms are due to menopause. Ask yourself the following questions. Have you...

• experienced irregular periods?
• recently suffered from joint or muscle pain?
• perhaps had more mood swings than before?
• experienced more depressive episodes?
• maybe had a hot flush/sweating episode?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, menopause may have begun for you. For more information about menopause and questions about supplements that can help during menopause, go to the chat in the bottom right corner or visit the store.

Author: Sanne van der Rijt