Menopause: What you need to know during the transition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - It’s something all women will go through in their lifetime. Menopause.

Many women expressed concerns to WSMV about their experience with the transition, so we went to Doctor Archelle Georgiou. The medical expert and author of “Healthcare Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Medical Care You Want and Need” sat down with Tracy Kornet to talk about various topics, including signs and symptoms and ageism.

Signs & Symptoms

In addition to weight gain, particularly in the abdomen and hips, Dr. Georgiou says 80% of women will have what’s called vasomotor symptoms, like hot flashes. That happens because estrogen levels fluctuate, but it’s more than just hot flashes. Dr. Georgiou says 50% of women have genital urinary symptoms.

That includes vaginal dryness, difficulty urinating, and pain with urination. She says brain fog is something many women don’t realize is a symptom of menopause.

“Memory problems, along with depression, fogginess, and irritability. What is important to realize about menopause is that it’s not just a change in your menstrual period. It affects your entire body,” said Dr. Georgiou.

Some WSMV viewers have expressed concerns about their hearts racing during this transition. Dr. Georgiou explains why that is triggered when women deal with menopause.

“That can come from a number of different parts of menopause,” Dr. Georgiou said. “One is that menopause is also related to anxiety. Depression and anxiety are quite common because it affects the brain. But the other thing that we need to remember is that estrogen affects how the blood vessels contract and expand. So, one of the biggest concerns about going through menopause is that menopause and those estrogen changes can increase your risk of heart disease.”

You can keep up with the conversation we’re having online by joining Tracy Kornet’s Facebook group, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Menopause...”.

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