“Symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, brain fog, or vaginal dryness, don’t just suddenly appear overnight,” says Echeverri. “They’re actually the outward signs of a gradual hormonal transition that starts several years before.”
Common symptoms include:
Hot flashes, a common symptom, usually peak 12 months after the last period. On average, women may experience hot flashes for one to six years, and 10 to 15 percent of women continue to have symptoms for up to 15 years after menopause.
Once postmenopause starts, many women find that their symptoms ease up or disappear, although some women can continue to have symptoms for years.
“There is data on how long non-vasomotor menopausal symptoms like brain fog, sleep problems, and mood changes typically last, although there’s wide variation between individuals,” Echeverri says.
Brain fog can make you feel confused or unable to think straight, and it may go on for some time after menopause. “Brain fog may start in late perimenopause and last through even postmenopause, typically one to five years,” explains Echeverri. “Estrogen has a neuroprotective effect, so cognitive changes may be more pronounced during periods of rapid hormonal fluctuation.” Hormones with a neuroprotective effect are those that help protect your brain and nervous system.
For some people, sleep problems can persist long after menopause. Echeverri says “sleep disturbances usually start in perimenopause and can last through postmenopause as well.”
She adds, “For many, it begins to improve about two to four years [after starting], but about 35 percent of women can have long-term issues with this, especially if the individual has other associated conditions that affect their sleep quality.”
A key component of menopause is a reduction in your estrogen levels. These levels never go back up to where they were before, which means some symptoms, such as vaginal dryness, usually stay for good. Lubricants can help overcome this problem during sex.
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