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It’s normal to experience some changes as you grow older. The time before menopause is a time you normally don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. You get your “time of the month,” and that’s pretty much it. Sure, sometimes, you wish you didn’t have a period, but when you do reach menopause, all of the sudden, you want nothing more than to have it back. Unfortunately, this process is all but inevitable. Here’s what to expect, and how to stay healthy as possible “down there.”
You Stop Making As Must Estrogen and Progesterone
When you first enter perimenopause, your body starts slowing down. This is a time when, biologically, you are not needed anymore to create children so the body downregulates certain hormones. Your ovaries stop making these critical hormones, and you start to experience mood changes.
Two of these are estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is a female sex hormone – actually, it refers to a group of compounds that make up sex hormones which are dominant in all women. They are important in both menstrual and estrous reproductive cycles, and are also considered steroid hormones.
Progesterone is another steroid hormone that’s involved in a woman’s menstrual cycle as well as pregnancy.
Your Period Stops
You know when it happens, and you freak out. be prepared for this eventuality. Since your body is downregulating sex hormones, there’s no need to continue the menstrual cycle. Many women initially fear this change because it signals the beginning of the latter years of life and a steady decline in function. On the plus side, you won’t need to stroll down the feminine products isle at the store anymore.
Your Ovaries Stop Releasing Eggs
Another part of menopause involves the stoppage of egg production in the ovaries. Once you reach menopause, you can never become pregnant again. Once you’ve stopped having a period for one full year, you’re considered to have passed into menopause.
Vaginal walls become thinner, dryer, and less elastic. They may also become irritated, especially during or after sex. You also face a higher risk of yeast infections and external genital dryness.
You May Get Hot Flashes
You’ve probably heard of women getting hot flashes. This is normal and natural, as are changes in mood, an increase in headaches, trouble sleeping, and problems with short-term memory.
Your Sex Drive Changes
Many women experience changes to their sexual drive as they get older. Some women experience an increase in sex drive, while others feel no interest in sex at all. Sometimes, this is due to the pain associated with sexual intercourse, and other times, it’s because changes in the genital area (e.g. sagging) make sex seem unpalatable.
This is also a time when some women seek out surgery and hormone therapy so that they can become interested in sex again.
So, for example, Dr. Robert Goldman’s website is a great resource on labiaplasty, which is popular among women once they enter menopause. And many women turn to doctors, and self-proclaimed health experts like Suzanne Somers, for information about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Investigate Bioidentical Hormone Replacement With Caution
If you do decide to investigate hormone replacement therapy later on in life, do so with caution. At this point in time, all of the research is controversial, with no solid scientific facts proving its safety. While it is efficacious, meaning hormones can be replaced, it’s uncertain whether this leads to an increased risk in certain types of cancers.
Dr. Robert Goldman’s cosmetic surgery experience spans decades. A dedicate doctor, he enjoys helping people by sharing what he has learned over his many years of practice. You can find his informative articles on a variety of today’s top websites.