the body is out of balance in perimenopause and menopause, and when that happens, anything goes.
“generally speaking, it’ll be an infinite number [of symptoms],” she said. “because every woman will experience symptoms differently.”
if symptoms are severe and menopause-related, then sometimes menopause hormone therapy is the best way to deal with them, or it may be just a matter of rebooting and rebalancing lifestyle, said mukherjee, who is also the author of
the complete guide to the menopause
.
other times, symptoms that are associated with menopause are also a sign of underlying health issues. take frozen shoulder, for example. also known as
adhesive capsulitis
, it’s a condition that causes significant pain and stiffness in and around the joint. it is most frequently seen in women aged 40 to 60, who are most likely experiencing menopause. in fact, a recent
study
linked the frozen shoulder with diminishing estrogen. it has also been connected to underlying, possibly
undiscovered thyroid issues
, as well as diabetes.
hot flashes are more than just a quality-of-life issue
in the same vein, emerging research is challenging conventional clinical wisdom that vasomotor symptoms — a.k.a. hot flashes and night sweats — are simply a quality-of-life issue. in fact, long-term data is suggesting that frequent and severe hot flashes and night sweats may put women at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, prompting researchers to advise that they would benefit from targeted screening and reduction interventions in mid-life. consider the findings of this
study
published in the
journal of the american heart association
in 2021: frequent and persistent menopause symptoms were associated with a 50 to 77 per cent increased risk of future cardiovascular events.
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