Menopause is a period in a woman’s life when fertility comes to an end and hormone levels start dropping, causing different symptoms. For many women, menopause is a difficult period because their body changes significantly, which can immensely affect the overall quality of their everyday lives.
In general, it is often advised to women that they should continue consulting their chosen gynecologist during menopause because doctors who have been monitoring the reproductive health of their patient can be of great assistance and support in handling symptoms and changes which occur during this time.
If you are looking for a qualified gynecologist in Doral, make sure that you do thorough research on all the possible options. To make the search easier, we recommend you make an appointment at Doral Beach Gynecology and see why they are considered one of the best clinics in the medical area of OBGYN in Doral.
As mentioned, menopause brings with itself a variety of symptoms, different for every individual. Some of the most known and common ones are:
- Vaginal dryness
- Hot flashes
- Sweating at night
- Issues with sleep
- Irregular periods
- Changes in mood
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Dry skin
- Loss of hair
- Body smell
- Exhaustion
Most of these occur due to changes in hormone levels, but age is also a significant factor in the causes of symptoms during menopause. The majority of women experience both emotional and physical symptoms, which usually start from the age of 50 onwards. Almost 80% of women experience hot flashes, which makes them the most common sign of menopause.
It is imperative to highlight that due to the decline of estrogen levels in the body of women, many different, severe health conditions may develop. These conditions include heart issues, osteoporosis, low libido, sexual dysfunction, problems with the urinary tract, high levels of cholesterol, high blood pressure, weight gain, etc.
Unusual Menopause Symptoms
Amongst many different menopause symptoms women experience, there are some which are very common and others that do not occur very often but are seen as more unusual menopause symptoms.
Below we are bringing you a list of some of them, so you can identify these symptoms and know what is in question if they start to occur.
Formication: Experts refer to formication as hallucinations that develop when a person feels something physically that does not have any physical cause. You feel like insects are crawling under the skin, and this can certainly be irritating, especially when it is followed by an itch. Research shows that almost 20% of women experience formication during menopause.
Metallic taste in the mouth: This is generally a very uncommon symptom that occurs rarely, but some women can feel specific pain or a burning sensation in the area of the mouth, tongue, gums, lips, and alike. A decrease in estrogen can cause women to have a metallic taste in their mouth because the hormone change affects the taste buds. Nerve cells surrounding the taste buds can be activated and cause soreness, dryness, and overall discomfort.
Dry nails: One of the symptoms which can start to develop during the menopause age is dry nails. This issue is closely connected to dry skin and occurs due to changes in hormone levels because it is hard for the skin to hold onto moisture, which also affects the nails. To lessen the symptom of dry nails, it is essential to keep a healthy diet and drink fluids regularly. Stress reduction is also a way to go, so try practicing yoga, meditation, exercise, and alike.
Vaginal pain: Alongside vaginal dryness, seen as one of the most common menopause symptoms, comes vaginal pain. The vaginal tissue thins out, and it is more prone to inflammation and irritation, leading to bleeding and tears during sexual intercourse or potential infections. Although rarer, this is another symptom that might occur due to the reduction of estrogen in the body.
Body odor: Due to the excessive amount of perspiration occurring during night sweats and hot flashes, there is a possibility that the body will develop skin bacteria and cause unpleasant body odor for women in menopause. Also, due to the changes in the vaginal mucus, microbes in that area can change, causing alterations in the smell of the vaginal discharge.
Vaginal infections can occur as well, causing different odors, but be aware that the sense of smell is sometimes heightened during menopause, so you might notice something no one else would. In any case, a healthy diet and stress reduction can be an excellent alternative to this, as well as loose, light clothes and strong antiperspirants.
Dental problems: Your teeth and gums can be affected by menopause due to decreased estrogen and an overall lack of moisture in the body. When the mouth dries out, it opens a space for the development of bacteria, affecting the teeth and gums. Gums might bleed or start receding, while teeth can begin to decay. Practice regular dental hygiene, and drink a lot of fluids.
Memory issues: Again, due to the lower estrogen level in the body, women sometimes have problems storing new information or remembering something from the past. Additionally, menopause can cause insomnia related to issues with the brain’s temperature control. Hot flashes occur often, and the sleeping pattern is interrupted numerous times. This causes fatigue, and it is hard to concentrate and remember something when the brain and the body are tired.
Solutions are offered by experts when it comes to insomnia, and they state that it can be treated by having a good sleeping schedule, avoiding telephone usage before bedtime, waking up at the same time every day, and controlling the bedroom temperature. Regarding memory loss, specialists advise taking hormonal therapy and regulating your sleeping schedule.
Other symptoms which are mentioned to be affecting women during menopause are perception changes when it comes to depth of vision, dry eyes, tinnitus (when you are hearing sounds that are not existent outside of your body such as clicking, ringing and alike), electric shocks (joint pains which occur before the hot flashes and feel like small electric shocks), and cold flushes (caused by the altered function of the hypothalamus which controls the body temperature).
Loss of fullness in the breasts is another symptom which is a bit more common, again caused by the drop in estrogen levels, as well as hair thinning, caused by the dryness of the scalp, so start using shampoos which enhance the production of moisture in the skin and help with thinning hair.
Make an Appointment!
Menopause, as such, is a very challenging time in a woman’s life. Adding unusual symptoms to it makes the whole experience much tougher and even more uncomfortable. To avoid as much discomfort as possible, contact our expert team, make an appointment and get all the necessary support.