Menopause is a biological process that naturally occurs in women after 45, that is, between the age of 45 to 50. After a woman hits menopause, she will no longer have menstrual periods and will not conceive naturally. The onset of menopause happens between the age of 45 to 50 or even 55 years. It has been estimated in the states that around 1.3 million women hit menopause every year. What happens during menopause is that the number of follicles in the ovary keeps on decreasing rapidly. During this time, FSH or the follicle-stimulating hormone also stops developing eggs. Thus the customary surge in the luteinizing hormones typically observed in menstruating women also does not occur.
Consequently, the production of estrogen reduces, leading to the ceasing of menstrual periods. Since more and more women are starting to focus on their careers and delaying childbearing, many women wonder if they can delay menopause naturally. It would allow them to conceive and bear children naturally later. This article would tell you if there is any possibility of postponing menopause naturally, how you can do it and if it benefits you at all.
Menopausal Symptoms and Treatments
There are a variety of symptoms that you might experience while going through a menopausal phase. At the initial stage, most symptoms revolve around changes in the pattern of your menstrual cycles. Women generally start having very heavy or very light periods. During this time, the frequency of the periods also might change. The menopausal phase lasts more than a couple of years, even eight years, for periods to completely cease. In addition to the above symptoms, you might also experience-
- Dryness in the vagina
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Insomnia
- Reduced libido
- Hot flashes
Since menopause is an entirely natural process, treatment is unnecessary. Mainly, women find lifestyle changes to suffice to adapt to the bodily changes. However, some women do want some relief from the symptoms. The available treatment is hormone replacement therapy, but these medications are found not to be too safe. They can add to the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. It’s essential to consult with a doctor before taking these treatments.
Can Menopause Be Delayed, And Is It Good?
For some women, the process of going through all of the menopausal symptoms could get problematic. It might even pose a problem if a woman is planning to conceive in her later years.
There are a lot of ways that you can delay your menopause. Both artificial and natural procedures are available. Recently, a new medical procedure has come up which claims to delay menopause for almost 20 years. Some added benefits of delayed menopause include a reduced risk of fractures and osteoporosis, a longer span for reproduction and reduced cause for mortality, and a lesser risk of morbidities and mortality from cardiovascular or heart diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and ischemic heart disease.
