MEAN-oh-pause!

(the mean old side-effects of age)

This article has been researched and written by Arelang Naturals^® in-house writers.

This article has been researched and written by Arelang Naturals^® in-house writers.

It’s mean, it’s nasty, it’s inevitable, it’s your menopause! Growing up is fun and games until you’ve hit your 40s and 50s and life throws a curveball at you. Your body’s oestrogen production is depleting and your menstrual cycles are coming to an end. This doesn't sound like too much, but this is what causes all the irritability, the mood swings, the pain, the hot flashes, the vaginal dryness and decreased libido, ugh - dreadful. 

Menopause usually marks the end of your reproductive years. But did you know menopause is just one part of what actually happens? Here’s how menopause manifests in a woman's body: 

• Perimenopause: This phase usually begins eight to ten years before the body hits menopause. Usually starts when a woman hits her 40s, but could also start in her 30s.. Although, one might see a regular menstrual cycle, they will start to feel menopause symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain, hair fall, drastic mood swings etc. 
• Menopause: This is marked by the point where you completely stop menstruating. The ovaries no longer release any eggs and there is almost no oestrogen production. The hot flashes, vaginal dryness, disinterest in sex and emotional changes are at their peak during this phase.
• Post-menopause: When you've had no period for over a year, you enter the post menopause phase. Here’s when you might stop seeing the nasty menopause symptoms like hot flashes. As a result of low or almost no oestrogen production, women in this phase are very prone to health risks and conditions.