Dr Tripat Chaudhary
If you are woman in your mid-forties, and if you are having irregular periods for some time now; the sexual drive has waned; vaginal dryness is making sex uncomfortable; hot flashes and mood swings are becoming frequent; you are having trouble sleeping and you are fatigued easily — all these changes maybe signs of that you are approaching menopause. Coupled with life’s other challenges, these symptoms may sometimes trigger a panic situation in one’s mind and be mistaken for having a midlife crisis.
These two events should, however, never be confused with each other .
Midlife crisis vs menopause
A midlife crisis can be understood as having a feeling of anxiety and worry, lack of self-confidence and insecurities that a person may experience, usually in his/her late forties or early fifties. Apart from reviewing their professional success, most women also tend to evaluate their relationships, their identity, and specially the loss of youth and prime.
Characterised by changing eating habits and sleep patterns, coupled with feelings of helplessness, pessimism and hopelessness, this particular time is confusing for many. It is sometimes assumed that menopause may have a contributory factor to this transitory phase, but both things are pretty different.
A midlife crisis is more of a psychological condition and it largely depends upon the individual when he or she feels affected by it. Some people may be affected by it as early as in late thirties and events like death of parents, partner or someone close can be a trigger.
Menopause, on the other hand, is a natural occurring phase in a woman’s life like childhood, puberty, adolescence, youth and old age. It is a biological stage for menstruation, which began in puberty, to end and is accompanied by dropping estrogen and progesterone levels. When a woman has not menstruated for one year at a stretch it is called menopause.
The hormonal changes manifest in various ways through mood swings and hot flashes. Because of the transformation of female body and the feeling of loss of fertility, a woman may be feeling down and upset. However, women don’t suffer clinical depression due to menopause. It may have less or no significant influence on midlife crisis.
Dealing with change
Menopause for every woman is unique. Some have a difficult peri-menopausal phase while others make a smooth move directly to menopause. Other than the discussed symptoms, a woman may show signs of memory problems, difficulty in concentrating, increased urination due to urinary incontinence, etc. Other complications due to dipping hormones can lead to lower metabolic function, osteoporosis, thinning vaginal walls and an overactive bladder. Studies have indicated that the risk of breast, cervical and uterine cancers increases with increasing age. Therefore, regular medical check-ups are highly advised. Women are also at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases after menopause. With proper medical guidance and some healthy lifestyle habits, this difficult phase in a woman’s life can be managed easily.
— The writer is director, obstetrics and gynaecology, Fortis LaFemme, New Delhi
Coping with it
Ways to manage
Lifestyle changes and home remedies can help in reducing severity of menopausal symptoms:
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