The Phase of MENOPAUSE among WOMEN

Menopause is an inevitable phase in human existence where nature indicates that it has started to take away certain roles and functions from the human beings. It also suggests that one major phase of life is coming to an end.

Menopause is a phase where the reproductive capacities come to a natural end. It need not be confined to females alone, though it is more conspicuous among women. The hormones maintaining the menstrual cycle process start to deplete leading to a drop in its subsequent functions.

The phase of menopause may extend from a few months to a few years depending upon her family history, her constitution and personal history. Women who have undergone hysterectomy or removal of uterus may also notice menopausal symptoms during the menopausal age. The menopausal age varies from 40 years to 55 years depending on variety of factors. In India, 45 years of age is considered as the average age to attain menopause.

Less indulgence in sexual activity, post divorce or separation from the spouse, death of the spouse, marital discord can often set in the menopausal phase earlier than usual. Physical ailments like certain types of fever or jwar (sannipat jwar), pandu or anemic conditions, digestive disorders like IBS, krumi (worms) may also aid to induce early menopause.

The menopause itself is a process where the monthly periods start to get irregular, they tend to come sooner than earlier pattern, in between 15 – 20 days after the earlier one or delay to 45 days to 6 months. The gap between subsequent periods, tend to increase and subsequently stop completely. If there has been no menstruation for a period of a year, it may be considered that the woman has reached her menopause.

The types of diseases as stated above may become a factor to cause the menopause earlier. Certain disorders can prolong the phase of menopause such as chronic hyperacidity, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension, continuous modern medical treatment for such disorders, stress, travel, spicy food intake, drinking habit and strenuous exercise regime. The symptoms of having early periods, profuse bleeding is seen in such cases for a prolonged period of time.

The phase of menopause is comfortable for controlled pitta or heat in the system, stress free living and who lead a healthy lifestyle.

Some women tending to have early periods find it accompanied by hot flushes, lower backache, abdominal cramps, cramps in the calf muscles, weakness in the legs and often a mild fever.

The pre menstrual symptoms under these circumstances consist of swelling in the body, face, feet, heaviness in the body, a general lethargy that a woman fails to attribute to anything specific.

The emotional turmoil in such situations is very peculiar to this phase, unlike the usual premenstrual one which is temporary. The mood is dull, there is lack of enthusiasm, energy and general lethargy and lack of motivation.. The emotional strain seems to be perpetual and extends for a prolonged period of time.

Menopause is an unavoidable phase of life which begs to change the lifestyle in many ways. The sexual element starts to lose its significance.

Women tend to feel they have a lot of mental energy but find lack of direction. The zest for life needs to be invested in other activities like hobbies and other artistic and intellectual pursuits.

It also means to shift gears and come to a slower pace of life in terms of zeal and physical strain. There are Ayurvedic treatments for this phase that help a woman overcome the drain, have a more gentle phasing out, the menstruation without having adverse effects on the body and mind.