Menapause? What do women experience?

Question

Menapause? What do women experience?

Answer 1

Look up the male equivalent, Andropause.

If you wanted a serious answer to your question you would have looked up the subject on the National Institutes  of   Health's webpage at http://www.nih.gov/

Answer 2

A research study was conducted to investigate women's experience of being well during the peri-menopause because much of the research investigating the experience of menopause has concentrated on its problematic and pathological aspects. For the majority of western women the reproductive transition of menopause is not problematic, however, the nature of the unproblematic or healthy menopause has not been investigated. The aim in conducting this research was to enhance understanding of the experience of being healthy or well during menopause. In so doing, recognition of the diversity of menopausal experiences may be strengthened.

The research was approached from the disciplinary perspective of nursing, and was grounded in the methodology of Heideggerian interpretive phenomenology. Data was collected via unstructured, in-depth interviews and analysis was conducted utilising the repetitive and circular process developed by van Manen. The phenomenon of being healthy or well during menopause was expressed in the form of three major themes. These were the continuity of menstrual experience, the embodiment of menopausal symptoms, and the containment of menopause and menopausal symptoms. The experience of health and well being during menopause can accommodate the experience of symptoms when the experience of symptoms does not disrupt embodied existence and the continuity of menstrual patterns.

Menopause is widely studied, yet only partly understood. While much is now known about the nature and influence of ovarian hormones, the physiology of menopausal changes, and the treatment of menopausal symptoms, little is known and understood about the experience of menopause. Research that has investigated the experience of menopause has largely focused on the problematic experiences. It is now known that the majority of women, regardless of cultural background, do not experience menopause in a problematic way (Utian 1977; Porter et al 1996). However, the nature of such experience has not been revealed and it is not known whether this experience of a non-problematic menopause constitutes wellness at menopause.

The research reported here aimed to achieve greater understanding of the nature of this experience of menopause, through an investigation of women's everyday experience of wellness and wellbeing during menopause. Wellness, by its very nature, is an elusive state. It is elusive because it is a non-problematic state, thus difficult to mark out by measurement, events or experiences. In wellness, nothing 'stands out' to notice, observe or disrupt as it does in illness (van Manen 1990). Nevertheless, the term wellness describes a particular and recognisable state of being which, in this study, is revealed through interpretative analysis of post-menopausal women's descriptions of their experiences.

Answer 3

It depends on the woman. My mother said she only realized she had gone through menopause when she stopped having periods. I know other women who have hot flashes but stopped having periods years ago. Some women start having unusually heavy periods before they stop having them completely. Contrary to popular opinion, most women do not go crazy during this time.

Answer 4

I think much depends on your mindset; how you view it, as well as genetics.  I never even knew I went through it. No crazy hormonal imbalances, no mood swings, no hot flashes, nothing.  It's different for every woman.  Although I really believe alot has to do with diet and lifestyle, and attitude..

I know some women are totally miserable, and I am at a loss as to understand why. It's a natural part of life.  Like I said, much depends on mindset, how you view it, genetics, etc.  If my doctor didn't tell me I already went through it, I never would have known.  Lucky? , or just a healthy attitude, I don't know.

Answer 5

It's Menopause and they stop getting their period and experience more mood swings.

Answer 6

-Menopause changes affect women differently.

-I'm peri-menopausal and don't really have any symptoms other than not having periods very often.

-I have other friends who have had hot flashes and that's about it.

Answer 7

All of this:

http://www.herbalconsultant.com/seven_dw...

Answer 8

Peri-menopausal symptoms are associated with a decline in endogenous circulation of estrogen (primarily), amongst the symptoms a woman may experience are "hot-flashes," mood disturbances, changes in libido, alteration in distribution of adipose, alteration in skin elasticity, changes in bone density, increases in the risk of osteoporotic fractures, alteration in the natural history of breast carcinoma, decrease in vaginal secretions, etc.

Answer 9

Mood swings, hot flashes, loss of skin texture, hair loss, dry skin, calcium loss, etc...... there are many vast and varied symptoms.