Menopause

Stan, Clarence, Barry, and the Health Chatter team chat with Dr. Robin Austin, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, about menopause and the often-overlooked realities of midlife women’s health.

Dr. Austin brings more than 20 years of clinical experience spanning pain management, women’s health, and integrative health. With both a DNP and PhD in Nursing Informatics—and dual training as a chiropractor and nurse—her work blends clinical insight with data science to address whole-person needs. Her research focuses on chronic pain and menopause, and she is a Research Mentee with the The Menopause Society as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the American Medical Informatics Association.

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Brought to you in support of Hue-MAN, who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships.

More about their work can be found at https://www.huemanpartnershipalliance.org/

Research

• What is menopause? 

• Permanent ending of menses in women

• Menopause is a point in time when a person has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. Menopause is a natural part of aging and marks the end of your reproductive years. On average, menopause happens at age 52. (Link) 

• What is the biological process of menopause?

• Natural process when ovaries stop producing reproductive hormones

• There are 3 stages to menopause 

• Perimenopause can begin eight to 10 years before menopause when your ovaries gradually produce less and less estrogen. It usually starts when you’re in your 40s. You can be in perimenopause for several months or several years. Many people begin feeling symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes and mood swings in perimenopause.

• Menopause: Menopause is the point when you no longer have menstrual periods. At this stage, your ovaries don’t release eggs, and your body doesn’t produce much estrogen. A healthcare provider diagnoses menopause when you’ve gone without a period for 12 consecutive months. Unlike the other stages, menopause itself is a defined moment, so you don’t stay in this stage.

• Postmenopause: This is the time after menopause. You stay in postmenopause for the rest of your life. While most symptoms of menopause ease up in postmenopause, you can continue to have mild menopausal symptoms for several years in postmenopause. People in the postmenopausal phase are at an increased risk for osteoporosis and heart disease due to low estrogen levels.

• Symptoms of menopause

• Irregular periods or periods that are heavier or lighter than usual

• Hot flashes, also known as vasomotor symptoms (a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over your body)

• Night sweats and/or cold flashes

• Vaginal dryness that causes discomfort during sex

• Urinary urgency (a pressing need to pee more frequently)

• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)

• Emotional changes (irritability, mood swings or depression)

• Dry skin, dry eyes or dry mouth

• Worsening premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

• Breast tenderness

• Racing heart

• Headaches

• Joint and muscle aches and pains

• Changes in libido (sex drive)

• Difficulty concentrating or memory lapses (often temporary)

• Weight gain

• Hair loss or thinning

• Caring for menopause, working with your care team

• Hormone therapy (HT). A term used for hormones offered to those going through menopause at natural ages (after age 45).

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The word replacement is added when using hormones to treat menopause which occurs at a young age, especially before age 40.

• Nonhormonal treatments

• It’s important to talk to your provider while you’re going through menopause to craft a treatment plan that works for you. Every person is different and has unique needs. People experiencing menopause before age 40 should be offered hormone replacement therapy, except in rare circumstances (such as a personal history of breast cancer at a young age)