Understanding the Lesser Known Symptoms of Menopause
Although menopause is a natural process that happens to every woman, it is still not often openly discussed—and therefore not always well understood—by women experiencing this transition. Even within the medical community, menopause has not always been extensively researched and understood by physicians due to a longstanding gender bias in medical research. As a result, many women have symptoms that they (and their doctors) don’t recognize as signs of menopause, so they don’t get relief through treatments like hormone therapy.
At Kore Regenerative Medicine, we empower women to gain a fuller understanding of their health and wellness, and we provide patient-centered care for women experiencing menopause symptoms.
What Happens Before and During Menopause?
Understanding the changes that occur in the body before and during menopause is key for recognizing the wide range of symptoms that arise during this process. Menopause occurs when a woman has had twelve consecutive months without a period. This typically takes place between ages 45 and 55. However, the body can undergo many changes leading up to this stage during perimenopause, when the ovaries start producing less progesterone and estrogen. During this time, hormone levels may fluctuate drastically, causing well-known symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, and weight gain, along with many other changes in the body.
Recognizing Lesser Known Effects of Menopause
Sex hormone receptors are found throughout the body, even in the eyes and joints. So, changes to estrogen and progesterone levels can have a profound effect on how you look and feel. The following signs are all common symptoms of menopause, but many women don’t recognize them as such and worry that there’s something else wrong with their health.
Dry Mouth
The mucous membrane inside the mouth and the salivary glands both have estrogen receptors, which is why saliva production may decrease during menopause and perimenopause, causing dry mouth. While dry mouth sounds like a relatively minor health concern, it can actually have far reaching effects on your health. Saliva helps you digest the food you eat, and it washes away food particles from your teeth. So, insufficient saliva production might lead to more frequent indigestion as well as cavities and gum disease. Plus, saliva enhances your ability to taste the food you’re eating, so you may find yourself drawn to less healthy food options if you’re experiencing dry mouth, since these might seem more flavorful and palatable.
Dry Eyes
Like the mouth, the eyes have many hormone receptors, which research has suggested help the eyes maintain a state of equilibrium. Hormonal fluctuations have been linked to a decrease in tear production or an increase in watery tears, which can make the eyes feel itchy, swollen, red, or irritated.
Skin Changes
If you suddenly feel like you are aging much faster or feel strange in your own skin, you aren’t imagining things. The hormonal changes leading up to menopause can cause major changes in your skin, including decreased collagen production that makes your skin thinner, leading to more significant fine lines and wrinkles. You might also notice that you bruise more easily or spot varicose veins on your legs. Other skin changes like acne and new facial hair growth are also common.
Joint Pain
Feeling pain or stiffness in your joints as you get older isn’t always a sign of arthritis. For women, joint pain can be a key indicator of loss of estrogen, and this pain may be significantly eased with the use of hormone therapy.
Brain Fog
Brain fog is one of the most frustrating symptoms of menopause because it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re just off your game or having an off day. But memory and processing are impacted by hormonal changes, and while cognitive impairment associated with menopause is generally mild and within normal range of functioning, it can make you start to feel crazy.
Easing Symptoms of Menopause with Hormone Therapy
For many women, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy not only eases symptoms of menopause, but it returns a sense of normalcy and comfort in everyday activities. It can also have long-term health benefits by reducing the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and dementia.
If your primary care physician or OBGYN has been quick to dismiss your menopause symptoms, you may benefit from the patient-centered approach of functional, integrative medicine. Under the care of Dr. Jordanna Quinn at Kore Regenerative Medicine, you can explore the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy while tapping into a comprehensive approach to your care with regenerative therapies that address the root cause of your symptoms, rather than simply masking those symptoms—or worse, disregarding them entirely. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Quinn, schedule a 15-minute discovery call to get to know more about our practice and determine if Kore Regenerative Medicine is the right fit for your health needs and goals.
