When I woke up this morning and combed my hair, I saw so much hair on the pillow. I felt empty inside and very uncomfortable. I don't know when exactly I started losing so much hair. My once silky and shiny hair has now become brittle and dull. Looking in the mirror, I see a tired and pale face that has lost its smoothness and finesse. Even my body has changed; I can no longer distinguish between my waist and feet. Everything is slowly changing, and my temper has become worse, my character more impatient. I have more worries and my legs and waist often ache faintly.
When I try to sleep at night, it takes a long time for me to fall asleep, and soon I wake up from my dreams with a headache. Poor sleep at night leaves me lacking energy during the day. There is a constant ringing in my ears, making me irritable and unable to focus. My thinking has become sluggish, my work efficiency has noticeably dropped, and my mood is not good. I easily become agitated and restless. Is this the inevitable menopausal stage for middle-aged women? Is "menopause" really happening to me?
Menopause marks the transition from the prime of adulthood to old age. During this period, there is a decrease in the secretion of sex hormones, resulting in a series of symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, insomnia, sweating, hot flashes, numbness in limbs, loss of appetite, digestive disorders, and constipation. At the same time, there is a decline in energy and physical strength, difficulty in concentrating, irritability, emotional instability, tension, anxiety, depression, and an inability to tolerate loneliness, indicating psychological changes.
Menopause, also known as perimenopause, is the transitional period for women from reproductive prime to decline. In 1944, the World Health Organization unified the terminology and definition related to perimenopause during a conference in Geneva. Menopause refers to the natural cessation of menstruation around the age of 40, when the ovarian follicles are depleted or no longer responsive to the pituitary gonadotropins, resulting in no further development and permanent cessation of menstruation.
The menopausal period can be divided into three stages:
1. Pre-menopause: During this stage, the number of ovarian follicles significantly decreases, and some follicles have reduced sensitivity to pituitary gonadotropins. Women in this stage may still have relatively normal menstrual cycles and even conceive, but they are more prone to incomplete follicular development, low estrogen secretion, anovulation, and higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the blood compared to a normal menstrual cycle.
2. Menopause: Ovarian function further declines, and the secretion of sex hormones from the follicles decreases to the point where it is insufficient to cause shedding of the endometrium. If this condition lasts for more than a year, the last menstrual period is considered menopause. The average age of menopause in China is 49.5 years, with 80% occurring between 44 and 54 years old. If menopause occurs before the age of 40, it is called early menopause or premature ovarian failure.
3. Post-menopause: After menopause, the ovarian follicles continue to shrink, become fibrotic, and decrease in size. The endocrine function further declines, and the reproductive organs begin to atrophy.
