World Menopause Day, Theme: Cognition and Mood, by Aisha Musa Auyo
World Menopause Day is marked every year on the 18th of October. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about menopause and the support options available for improving health and well-being at that stage. Professionals and women are encouraged to participate in this global awareness-raising campaign by printing and sharing educative materials, organising events to engage their communities, and sharing World Menopause Day social media posts. The theme for World Menopause Day 2022 is Cognition and Mood.
Before going into this year’s theme, I’ll explain the basics of menopause, as a reminder and enlightenment for those who do not know much about it.
Menopause happens to most women of an average age of 51 years, but it’s normal to have menopause anywhere between 45 and 55 years – although some women have it at an earlier or later age. Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, and postmenopause is the time after the final period. It’s likely one have reached menopause if you haven’t had a period for 12 months.
What happens at menopause?
From about 35–40 years of age, a woman have fewer eggs left in the ovaries so one doesn’t ovulate (release an egg from your ovary) as often. Menopause means ovulation and periods stop.
Hormones are chemicals made in one’s body that relay messages through bloodstream. For example, your hormones tell your body to eat and sleep. The three main hormones that change as one approach menopause are:
• Oestrogen
• Progesteron
• testosterone.
The change in hormone levels leads to different menopausal symptoms.
The menopause transition
Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Some women reach menopause as late as 60.
1.Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the stage before your final period (menopause). It’s when your body reaches the end of its reproductive years. Perimenopause is a natural part of a woman’s life and it usually happens sometimes in your 40s. On average, it lasts four to six years, but it can last from one to 10 years.
During this time, your ovaries begin to run out of eggs. This causes hormone levels, particularly oestrogen, to fluctuate, causing different symptoms, like hot flushes and mood swings. Changing hormones can also affect your menstrual cycle. For example, your periods may be irregular, shorter (or longer), lighter (or heavier), or they may not come for a few months.
Some months you may ovulate and other months you may not. You may even ovulate twice in a cycle. Symptoms include
• Irregular periods.
• Vaginal dryness.
• Hot flashes.
• Chills.
• Night sweats.
• Sleep problems.
• Mood changes.
• Weight gain and slowed metabolism.
2. Menopause occurs when you’ve stopped producing the hormones that cause your menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row. Once this has occurred, you enter postmenopause.
3. Post menopause is the time after menopause has occurred. Once this happens, you’re in post menopause for the rest of your life. Your hormone levels will remain low and you’ll no longer have a monthly period. You can’t get pregnant because your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs.
Most people in post menopause feel lingering symptoms from menopause. The symptoms are less intense. In some cases, they almost disappear. Lingering symptoms are caused by low levels of reproductive hormones. Women in post menopause can feel symptoms such as:
- Hot flashes and night sweats.
- Vaginal dryness and sexual discomfort.
- Depression.
- Changes in sex drive.
- Insomnia.
- Dry skin.
- Weight changes.
- Hair loss.
- Urinary incontinence, etc.
If your symptoms become more intense or interfere with your daily life, talk with your healthcare provider. They may want to rule out any underlying condition causing these symptoms.
How to manage symptoms of post menopause my oneself
Certain lifestyle or at-home changes can help one manage symptoms of postmenopause. Some of these include:
• Using a water-based vaginal lubricant during sex to make it more pleasurable. Lubricating the vagina helps with dryness and pain.
• Regular exercise, meditation and other relaxing activities can help with depression and other side effects of postmenopause.
• Eating a diet rich in phytoestrogens (plant-based sources of estrogen) such as whole-grain cereals, flaxseed, chickpeas and legumes. Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake has also been shown to help.
Cognition and mood in menopause
Cognition
During menopausal transition many women complain of memory problems such as difficulty with words, forgetfulness and “brain fog” thus suggesting that hormonal changes related to menopause may be responsible for changes in cognition. This is due to the deep connection between estrogen and cognitive function.
Still, there are some lifestyle changes one can make that may ease symptoms and improve memory.
1. Eat a well-balanced diet. A diet that’s high in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and fat may be bad for both your heart and your brain.
2. Get enough rest.
3. Exercise your body.
4. Exercise your mind.
Mood
Irritability and feelings of sadness are the most common emotional symptoms of menopause. Often, they can be managed through lifestyle changes, such as learning ways to relax and reduce stress.
Here are some tips that may make it easier for to handle fluctuating emotions:
• Exercise and eat healthy.
• Find a self-calming skill to practice, such as yoga, meditation, or rhythmic breathing.
• Avoid tranquilizers and alcohol.
• Engage in a creative outlet that fosters a sense of achievement.
• Stay connected with your family and community.
• Nurture your friendships.
Supporting someone through the menopause
Menopause can be associated with many physical and emotional changes for women, and this can make it a challenging and complicated time.
If you know someone who might be going through menopause or perimenopause, it’s socially good for you to find out more about how you can support them. Some women will drop out of the workforce if not supported, adapting working polices, such as providing access to flexible working, can help women remain in the workplace.
Learn more about menopause
Getting yourself and others informed is a really important step. It’ll give you an idea of what your partner, family member, friend or colleague might be going through.
A good first step would be to learn about all the various symptoms of menopause, the impact these symptoms may have on your loved one and others as well as the potential treatments and support available.
Listen to them
Communication is key. Ask them about how they feel or what they’re going through. It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone might want to talk about certain symptoms or feelings. It is also important to remember that everyone’s menopause is different so don’t make assumptions about what they are experiencing. However, letting them know you’re there if they need you will make them feel supported.
Encourage them
They might not feel like doing things they normally would do, and their self-esteem might be low. Words of encouragement can help make them feel more uplifted and empowered.
Inviting them to engage with a range of people or activities will also provide opportunities to feel good about themselves even when experiencing symptoms.
Help with their symptoms
An active, healthy lifestyle can ease some of the symptoms of menopause. You can encourage them to go for a walk, a swim or try a yoga class to get more active. Changing the ways you spend time together or socialise can help. For example, cooking a healthy meal together.
Menopause and the workplace
Many women have said that they often find managing symptoms of menopause in the workplace very challenging. Coping with symptoms in the workplace can be hard, especially as many women find it difficult to talk about menopause at work.
It is important that women feel supported to continue working throughout their menopause.
There are lots of small changes that managers and organisations can make to ensure workplaces are healthy and welcoming places for women going through menopause.
Supporting staff at workplace
The menopause is a normal transition for many women. By providing help and support for women who are managing menopause symptoms at work, employers can contribute to a positive workplace environment.
Menopausal symptoms can also be protected by employment law. It is important that managers and colleagues be informed and comfortable about symptoms and impact of menopause.
Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology, a mother of three, advocate of mental health, Home Maker, caterer and parenting/ relationship coach.
