Menopause can arrive with a host of symptoms. Most women experience at least some of these menopausal symptoms — typically when they are in their late forties or in their fifties, although it can occur earlier or later. 1. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats According to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), 75 percent of North American women have hot flashes during perimenopause, prompting almost one-quarter of them to see their healthcare providers for help. ( 1 ) Hot flashes are the sudden feeling of intense warmth, usually around the face and upper body. Your face and chest may also turn red, and you can perspire heavily. Some women also experience a rapid heartbeat. When it ends, you might feel chilled. Night sweats are similar; you will wake up drenched in sweat, to the point that you might have to change clothes and bedding. ( 2 ) Causes Experts aren’t entirely clear on the cause, but one theory is that changes to the hypothalamus (the area of the brain that regulates body temperature) cause it to misread body temperature and begin the process of cooling down by dilating blood vessels close to the skin surface in order to increase blood flow. This in turn causes the skin to turn red and sweaty. (1) RELATED: Menopause Symptoms That May Surprise You
2. Slowed Metabolism and Weight Gain During menopause , many women experience the dreaded “menopot” or “menopause spread,” gaining weight usually in the abdomen. NAMS reports that menopausal women gain on average 1.5 pounds per year. Two-thirds of women ages 40 to 59 and around three-quarters of women older than 60 are overweight. Excess weight gain can up the risk of type 2 diabetes , heart disease, hypertension , respiratory problems, and uterine and breast cancers, and can intensify hot flashes. ( 3 ) Causes During menopause, estrogen levels drop, which causes fat storage to shift from hips and thighs to the belly. Research from Mayo Clinic published in the journal Diabetes found that when estrogen drop, proteins cause the fat cells to store more fat and slow down your metabolism’s fat-burning capability. ( 4 ) Also, as we age, we tend to naturally exercise less and eat more. RELATED: 10 Ways to Beat Menopausal Belly Fat 3. Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Swings Studies have shown that mood changes occur in up to 23 percent of peri- and post-menopausal women. ( 5 ) Causes Estrogen fluctuation can bring on changes to your brain and nervous system that can affect mood. It can also interfere with sleep — lack of sleep can cause mood disturbances. ( 6 ) This stage of life is a time of great change for women — they are winding down their childbearing and child-rearing years, facing midlife, a new body, and a new identity. Some may mourn what can now never be; others are anxious about the new stage to come. Stigmas against menopause and mental illness prevent many from getting help. RELATED: First Ever Guidelines Address Depression in Midlife
4. Insomnia and Sleep Disruptions Menopause can wreak havoc on your ability to get some solid z’s — either you can’t fall asleep or you are waking up several times during the night. Causes According to the National Sleep Foundation , menopause keeps you awake for a variety of reasons. ( 7 ) Levels of estrogen and progesterone , sleep-promoting hormones, are dropping. Night sweats — the sudden flash of heat and soaking sweat wakes you up. It may take a while to get back to sleep, especially if you have to change clothes and strip the bed. Depression and anxiety (see above) 5. Hair Loss and Brittle Nails Many women experience thinning hair during menopause; some encounter an extreme form known as female pattern hair loss . Your nails may become ridged and brittle. Cause Blame those estrogen and progesterone drops again. Those are the hormones responsible for maintaining healthy hair. It’s also a double-whammy: When they decrease, the male hormone, androgen, has more of an effect. ( 8 ) To add insult to injury, the latter may cause hair to start growing in unwanted places, like your chin and upper lip. ( 9 ) Hair and nails are made up largely of keratin, which is affected by decreased blood flow. A study has shown that blood flow to nail beds was reduced by 30 percent in post-menopausal women compared with premenopausal women or women who were taking hormone therapy. ( 10 )
6. Sexual Dysfunction, Desire Issues Many women find that with menopause comes some unpleasant changes in their vaginas, which can make sexual activity mildly difficult to extremely painful. Women report a feeling of vaginal tightness during penetration, and are at higher risk for tearing and bleeding during intercourse. In fact, between 17 and 45 percent of post-menopausal women say sex really hurts. ( 11 ) Some women may feel a marked decrease in their libido , coupled with distress about that decline, a condition known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). One study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that 26.7 percent of perimenopausal women experienced low libido as opposed to 52.4 percent among naturally menopausal women. ( 12 ) Cause The hormone drop causes vaginal walls to become thin, dry, fragile, and less flexible, a situation known as vulvovaginal atrophy. If the vagina also becomes inflamed (vagina become red and produces discharge), it is atrophic vaginitis. Along with the estrogen decrease, libido can be squashed by stress , depression, poor body image, and frustration over how long it takes to reach orgasm . 7. Bone Loss and Osteoporosis Risk You can build more bone than you lose up until around age 30. After age 35, loss outpaces creation, causing overall bone loss. When menopause hits, the demineralization process speeds up, leading some women to develop osteoporosis (brittle, fragile bones). ( 13 ) Cause One of estrogen’s jobs is to protect bone health. When it depletes, so goes that benefit, leaving bones vulnerable to deterioration. RELATED: Safe Pilates Exercises for Osteoporosis 8. Dry Skin and Other Skin Problems If you are noticing that your skin is getting dry, slack, easily irritated, and thin, leading to the development of jowls and easy bruising, you are not imagining it. You may also develop acne, rashes and that wounds heal much more slowly. Cause Say it with me: Estrogen depletion. It causes skin to thin, which leaves it vulnerable to bruising. The dryness is because skin loses some ability to retain moisture. The wrinkling, jowls, and slackness is due to skin losing collagen. According to the American Academy of Dermatology , “studies show that women’s skin loses about 30 percent of its collagen during the first five years of menopause. After that, the decline is more gradual. Women lose about 2 percent of their collagen every year for the next 20 years.” (9) 9. Dry Eyes and Dry Mouth Menopausal women often suffer from dry, inflamed, irritated eyes, and their mouths can also become dry and tacky. Many find they can’t even wear contact lenses regularly anymore due to the lack of lubrication on the tissue that covers the eyeball. Mouth dryness can be so severe that it can affect oral health. Lack of saliva can lead to increase in cavities, periodontal disease, gingivitis, and more. ( 14 ) Causes Estrogen gets a break on dry eyes. Researchers who published a study in the journal Review of Ophthalmology found that decreasing androgens get the blame for dry eyes. Since women have less of the hormone to begin with, a slight drop can have a big effect. ( 15 ) But we’re back to estrogen levels dropping for the dry mouth: A study published in the Journal of Mid-Life Health shows that it dries out the oral mucosa in the same way it does in the vagina. (14) 10. Memory Issues and Problems With Concentration Your cognitive function may go a little screwy. Words are harder to retrieve, you forget why you walked into a room and darned if you know where your keys ended up. A Baylor University study confirmed that trouble with working memory and complex attention and vigilance is completely normal, and it isn’t permanent. Cause Diminished estrogen production is once again the cause, but that’s not the whole story. Disrupted sleep, depression, and hot flashes can also play a role, according to a paper published in the journal Integrative Medicine Insights . ( 16 )

Are you and your partner neglecting sex play? Learn how to add it back into your routine to boost your bond in and out of the bedroom. While “quickies” can be fun and spontaneous, skipping foreplay means missing out on a great way to connect emotionally and physically. According to Pepper Schwartz, PhD, a sexual health expert and researcher at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, foreplay is critical, elemental, and necessary.

Foreplay, also known as “outercourse,” is any sexual activity that occurs before intercourse. There is no single way to engage in foreplay, as it can mean different things to different people. It can involve kissing, caressing, cuddling, flirty texting or talking, massage, and oral sex. If you like it a little rough, biting, pinching, scratching, and spanking can be a turn-on. The goal is to increase sexual excitement, which can help prepare the body for intercourse. Foreplay is sometimes thought of as a warm-up for sex, but it doesn’t necessarily have to lead to intercourse. Some couples find foreplay itself to be sexually fulfilling as a main event.

The benefits of foreplay include lubrication of the vagina, an extended erection, and the prevention of premature ejaculation for people with penises. The female body pulls the uterus up when aroused, lengthening the vagina. This process, called uterine tenting, creates a pool area for semen, which is part of the reproductive sophistication of our machinery, according to Dr. Schwartz. As those muscles relax, the nerve endings start to get stimulated, paving the way for a more pleasurable experience. Research involving married couples has found that 1 to 10 minutes of foreplay was associated with 40% of women achieving orgasm during sex. That percentage rose to 50 with 12 to 20 minutes of foreplay and 60 with more than 20 minutes of foreplay.

If you want more action in bed, you have to let your partner know what you want. But talking about sex can be easier said than done for some. Dr. Lyndsey Harper, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Texas A&M School of Medicine in Bryan, Texas, recommends two sentence starters to try when expressing sexual desire to your partner: “I want you to…” and “It feels so good when you…”. If it makes you more comfortable, you can bring up your sexual needs outside of the bedroom. If you don’t know how to bring it up, she suggests starting the conversation with something like, “Our sex life is really important, and I’d love for us to feel open talking about things. Would it be okay for me to share with you some things I like?”

Communication comfort is closely linked to trust. To experience true intimacy and fun foreplay, trusting each other is essential, especially since our needs constantly change. Couples who find it difficult to communicate about their desires should consider seeing a couple’s counselor or sex therapist who can help them navigate these discussions.

Foreplay is just play. Couples can engage in it however they want. According to Dr. Harper, it generally takes about 20 minutes of arousal for women to become fully lubricated and ready for penetrative sex. However, it is best to abolish the idea of “foreplay” and the “main event” of penetrative sex and work together with your partner to create a fun and intimate sexual life where everyone’s needs are met.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/sexual-foreplay.aspx

The post 10 Symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause appeared first on Secretly Sexy.

Foreplay is just play. Couples can engage in it however they want. According to Dr. Harper, it generally takes about 20 minutes of arousal for women to become fully lubricated and ready for penetrative sex. However, it is best to abolish the idea of “foreplay” and the “main event” of penetrative sex and work together with your partner to create a fun and intimate sexual life where everyone’s needs are met.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/sexual-foreplay.aspx

The post 10 Symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause appeared first on Secretly Sexy.

Are you and your partner neglecting sex play? Learn how to add it back into your routine to boost your bond in and out of the bedroom. While "quickies" can be fun and spontaneous, skipping foreplay means missing out on a great way to connect emotionally and physically. According to Pepper Schwartz, PhD, a sexual health expert and researcher at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, foreplay is critical, elemental, and necessary. Foreplay, also known as "outercourse," is any sexual activity that occurs before intercourse. There is no single way to engage in foreplay, as it can mean different things to different people. It can involve kissing, caressing, cuddling, flirty texting or talking, massage, and oral sex. If you like it a little rough, biting, pinching, scratching, and spanking can be a turn-on. The goal is to increase sexual excitement, which can help prepare the body for intercourse. Foreplay is sometimes thought of as a warm-up for sex, but it doesn't necessarily have to lead to intercourse. Some couples find foreplay itself to be sexually fulfilling as a main event. The benefits of foreplay include lubrication of the vagina, an extended erection, and the prevention of premature ejaculation for people with penises. The female body pulls the uterus up when aroused, lengthening the vagina. This process, called uterine tenting, creates a pool area for semen, which is part of the reproductive sophistication of our machinery, according to Dr. Schwartz. As those muscles relax, the nerve endings start to get stimulated, paving the way for a more pleasurable experience. Research involving married couples has found that 1 to 10 minutes of foreplay was associated with 40% of women achieving orgasm during sex. That percentage rose to 50 with 12 to 20 minutes of foreplay and 60 with more than 20 minutes of foreplay. If you want more action in bed, you have to let your partner know what you want. But talking about sex can be easier said than done for some. Dr. Lyndsey Harper, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Texas A&M School of Medicine in Bryan, Texas, recommends two sentence starters to try when expressing sexual desire to your partner: "I want you to..." and "It feels so good when you...". If it makes you more comfortable, you can bring up your sexual needs outside of the bedroom. If you don't know how to bring it up, she suggests starting the conversation with something like, "Our sex life is really important, and I'd love for us to feel open talking about things. Would it be okay for me to share with you some things I like?" Communication comfort is closely linked to trust. To experience true intimacy and fun foreplay, trusting each other is essential, especially since our needs constantly change. Couples who find it difficult to communicate about their desires should consider seeing a couple's counselor or sex therapist who can help them navigate these discussions.

Foreplay is just play. Couples can engage in it however they want. According to Dr. Harper, it generally takes about 20 minutes of arousal for women to become fully lubricated and ready for penetrative sex. However, it is best to abolish the idea of "foreplay" and the "main event" of penetrative sex and work together with your partner to create a fun and intimate sexual life where everyone's needs are met.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/sexual-foreplay.aspx

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