Make Your Bed Yourself
Making your bed comfortable can be a very advantageous step in combating Menopause fatigue. You should wear light and comfortable clothes and keep yourself calm. Select a suitable pillow and set the temperature of the room to an optimal level to enhance sleep. You can learn more about how to make your bed here.
Can I Put Off Menopause
Natural menopause is a normal transition process that you cant delay or stop. Even around the age of 35, as your hormones start to transition you may not notice symptoms. By your early to mid-40s, fluctuations of your sex hormones estrogen and progesterone may increase. This is when most women begin to notice symptoms. These symptoms may continue to increase in severity through their late 40s and early 50s until they quit menstruating. No matter what age menopause begins, I always suggest that women focus on techniques that reduce their symptoms so they can feel their best during this important stage in their life.
Does Menopause Cause Fatigue
Studies on menopausal symptoms show that there is a link between menopause and fatigue. In fact, medical researchers have linked early menopause to a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome , a condition that commonly affects women with menstrual disorders and endometriosis.
Most women don’t experience CFS, but a majority do experience severe fatigue during menopause.
So does menopause cause fatigue? Yes, it does. But how can you tell whether you are experiencing menopausal fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome?
In general, women go through menopause when they are between 45 and 55 years old. Women who experience menopause before age 45 are in early menopause. Some studies showed that women with chronic fatigue syndrome are more likely to have early or premature menopause, as well as other gynecological disorders.
CFS is a serious disorder which can be diagnosed by ruling out other health conditions. It is suspected if the condition lasts more than 4 months. Also, keep in mind that CFS is much more severe than menopausal fatigue.
If you are older than 45, you may notice some changes in your body like absent or irregular periods, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. These are some indicators that you are approaching menopause.
There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. During all stages, you may experience menopausal fatigue, which is less severe than CFS.
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A Transition From Perimenopause To Menopause
You don’t start getting menopause symptoms all of a sudden. It happens in a gradual transition from Perimenopause to Menopause.
Perimenopausestarts a few years before menopause ensues. It slowly transitions your body’s hormonal levels towards menopause. It causes a decline in the hormone estrogen . There are irregular menstrual cycles and symptoms similar to Menopause. The signs and symptoms include mood swings, trouble sleeping, decreased sex drive, and perimenopausal fatigue.
It may last for a few months to a few years but eventually leads to Menopause. So, perimenopause symptoms like fatigue and irregular menses mean that menopause is around the corner.
When Do Menopause And Perimenopause Start
The average age for women to experience menopause is 52, but some women may begin early menopause between the ages of 40-45. Other common questions are what is perimenopause and how is it different? If youre experiencing symptoms but still menstruating, youre in perimenopause. Perimenopause symptoms can start months or years before menopause, often when a woman is in her 40s.During this time, your periods may become irregular and you may even skip several months. Irregular periods are a key symptom of perimenopause as hormonal changes may cause you to ovulate on a less regular basis. But keep in mind, until you havent menstruated for 12 full months, you havent started menopause yet.
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Get The Sleep You Need
In addition to fatigue, night sweats and hot flashes are also common and can interfere with your sleep. Plenty of sleep is essential during menopause so that youre not extra tired during the day.
If youre having trouble sleeping due to hot flashes, consider installing a ceiling fan or using a large box fan at night. Wear lighter clothes to bed and make sure the room is dark and cool. Try to go to bed at the same time every night including on the weekends to get your body in a rhythm.
An Introduction To Fatigue And Menopause
Fatigue is a feeling of extreme exhaustion and complete lack of energy. Menopausal fatigue, or crashing fatigue, is when this feeling suddenly overwhelms a person. While fatigue is often exacerbated after physical or mental exercise, for menopausal women it can come at any time, without good reason, even after a good nights sleep. In fact, often with this symptom, the woman is not sleepy or longing for bed, but completely lacking in energy and unable to continue with their normal activities.
Certain lifestyle factors may trigger the symptom. These include stress and anxiety, and so it is worth trying to keep these at a minimum, not least for your general well-being.
At this time of life, low thyroid function and low iron levels can also appear, causing similar symptoms. If you are feeling fatigued on a regular basis, it is best to get checked out in case it is down to one of these underlying health issues.
It is important not to confuse episodes of menopausal fatigue with a more serious condition such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or anaemia, when you will feel prolonged periods of exhaustion which do not go away with sleep or rest.
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How To Beat Menopause Fatigue
Feeling drained? Constantly exhausted? Running on empty? This week I explain why the majority of women will experience fatigue at some point during the menopause and how it can range from being mild to utterly debilitating. Plus, I take a look at what you can do to beat fatigue, including simple ways to boost your energy.
Eileen Durward
Treat Menopause Fatigue With Daily Exercise
Exercise is one of the main natural methods that women can use to beat the fatigue that comes with menopause. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week.
Though exercising might be the last thing you feel like doing when youre tired or weak, it does a lot to boost your energy and produce hormones for boosting your mood. You can also add weight training a couple times a week for an extra lift.
Many women find that when they start their day with exercise instead of waiting until bedtime, it helps them feel rejuvenated all day.
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What Causes Fatigue During Menopause
The main cause of menopausal fatigue is the change in hormone levels. Oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid and adrenal hormones are all involved in regulating cellular energy in the body which, when compromised, can lead to fatigue. Physical menopausal symptoms like night sweats and insomnia also contribute to fatigue.
For women undergoing menopausal transition, hormonal fluctuations that occur naturally during this stage could be the most likely cause of fatigue. Hormones are responsible for controlling energy at the cellular level. When levels of oestrogen and progesterone decrease, so do energy levels. Hormones also play a role in regulating the sleep cycle. These fluctuations affect a womans ability to get a good nights rest, leading to fatigue in the morning.
Other hormones that work to regulate energy levels include melatonin and the thyroid and adrenal hormones. When levels of any of these hormones naturally decrease during menopause, most women feel less energetic and get tired easily. This is what leads to a feeling of persistent fatigue.
While most middle-aged women experience fatigue as a result of hormonal changes that occur naturally during menopause, there are certainly other less common conditions that can cause fatigue.
Natural Boosters To Beat Menopause Fatigue
The onset of menopause can bring many new challenges and symptoms for women, especially in the early stages as your body adjusts to these new changes. One of the most common symptoms that women experience is menopause fatigue. And while lower energy levels are not uncommon, they can make it very difficult to go about your daily activities.
Though most menopause symptoms will fade on their own with time, you dont have to accept them as they are for the present time. There are steps you can take to alleviate fatigue and low energy to make your transition easier.
Lets take a look at some of the natural boosters for boosting the symptoms associated with a hormonal imbalance.
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Secrets To Fighting Fatigue During Perimenopause
Dont let perimenopause leave you feeling drained. Fatigue is not an inevitable part of the process. Find out how you can feel healthy and energetic as you transition through perimenopause.
You may think that feeling wiped out and living with your bodys thermostat raging out of control is an inevitable part of the transition to menopause. But the truth is that some women dont get perimenopause symptoms. So whats the difference between these two groups of women?
It comes down to 3 major factors: stress, rest and attitude. When you are constantly under stress, the hormone cortisol disrupts your hormone balance leading to perimenopause symptoms. Even after the stress in your life dissipates, your hormones can remain imbalanced.
Dr. Marina Rose, of Los Altos, CA, works with women in perimenopause to overcome the effects of stress and bring their hormones back into balance. One of her favorite tools for solving the fatigue issue is doing an Adrenal Stress Index test that shows exactly how your cortisol is functioning.
You may assume that if your stress is high then your cortisol must be high. But thats not always the case. Dr. Rose finds that many women with fatigue have LOW cortisol, sometimes as a direct result of years of elevated cortisol.
What Causes Menopause Fatigue
Many women in this stage of life experience menopause fatigue. Fatigue is just a fancy word for extreme tiredness that is constant and significantly affects your ability to go through your normal day-to-day activities. According to many womens health experts, menopause fatigue can occur for a lot of different reasons.
First, always talk to your doctor about any new symptoms youre experiencing. Extreme fatigue is common in menopause, especially at the onset, but its also a symptom for other more serious conditions like thyroid disorders, kidney and liver disease, heart problems.
If your doctor indicates that its just the onset of menopause causing you to feel tired, there are a few reasons behind it. As menopause begins , your body goes through rapid hormonal changes. During the perimenopausal period , levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen start to decline, leading to irregular periods that are either lighter or heavier.
Youre considered to have entered menopause once you havent had your period for at least 12 months. When this happens, estrogen and progesterone levels decline even more rapidly while thyroid hormones and adrenal hormones also fluctuate.
Since all of these hormonal systems regulate our cellular energy, it makes sense that the sudden changes can leave us feeling drained. These shifts are also responsible for other menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and vaginal dryness.
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Check Your Medications Or Any Existing Condition
Some drugs will leave you out of energy. These include antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, antihistamines and pain killers. Be sure to ask your doctor or talk to him if you feel exhausted from taking these medications. Anemia, diabetes, gut disorders, adrenal fatigue and other conditions can cause extreme fatigue. Be sure to get checked to rule out illnesses!
Eileen of A. Vogel explains why most women in menopause experience fatigue and how we can beat it. She says its important to take care of our fatigue because it might lead to adrenal fatigue a far more serious condition.
Understanding Perimenopause And Menopause
Perimenopause refers to the time of transitional before menopause begins. Your periods may become irregular, and your flow may become heavier or lighter.
Production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone usually begins to slow when a woman reaches her 40s. That happens as a woman enters the perimenopausal period. The full transition to menopause can take 4 to 12 years.
Menopause is the time of life when your periods stop, estrogen and progesterone production ends, and you can no longer become pregnant.
During perimenopause, you might start experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, and fatigue. Youll officially be in menopause when you havent had a period for 12 months.
Fatigue can be one sign that youre in a menopause transition. Here are a few of the other symptoms that are common during perimenopause:
- hot flashes
- mood changes, such as feeling sad or more irritable than usual
- night sweats
- vaginal dryness
- weight gain
Talk to your doctor if these symptoms or any others bother you. You can work together to find the best treatment options for your symptoms.
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When To See Your Doctor
Menopause is a completely natural and normal part of getting older, but that doesnt mean you have to suffer in silence. A doctor can help you manage your symptoms and determine which treatments can make you more comfortable.
If youre experiencing extreme symptoms of menopause that interfere with your daily life, its time to see your doctor. Mood changes and physical changes in your body are expected, but if youre having trouble going into work, interacting with your family, or feel anxious and generally unwell, its a sign that you may need medical treatment.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Associated With Early Menopause
Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with early menopause, according to research. The association between CFS and menopause may help explain why CFS is more common among women than men. Furthermore, being aware of the association can prompt healthcare workers to closely monitor women with the syndrome.
A study compared 84 women with CFS and 73 healthy control women who completed detailed questionnaires on their gynecologic history.
The women with CFS were 12 times more likely to have pelvic pain unrelated to menstruation when compared to the healthy women. CFS women were also more likely to report excessive bleeding, significant bleeding in-between periods, and missing periods. CFS-affected women were more likely to use hormones for purposes other than contraception compared to the control women.
Furthermore, CFS women were more likely to have undergone at least one gynecologic surgery. They experienced menopause at an earlier age than the healthy women.
The executive director of the North American Menopause Society Margery Gass said, CFS can take a tremendous toll on womens lives at midlife and on our society and healthcare system. Being aware of the association of CFS and earlier menopause can help providers assist women in sorting out symptoms of CFS from symptoms of menopause.
Other symptoms commonly experienced during menopause include:
- Vaginal dryness
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When Fatigue Is A Symptom Of Your Life
If you are constantly tired even after a good nights sleep, it may be time to make some lifestyle changes.
Here are 9 common causes of fatigue and how you can combat them:
Way : Develop A Good Sleep Routine
Menopause comes with many sleep interfering symptoms. For example, you may have flashes, night sweats, etc., which would keep you awake at night and inactive during the next day. So, to have a good sleep routine, maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time, make your room cooler, keep the tour tidy, dark, and sleep early. Also, remember not to use your smartphone when your sleep time is near.
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Vitamins For Menopause Fatigue
Vitamins play a key role in our energy levels. Some can be gained through diet, while some can be taken as supplements. The vitamins and minerals that are vital for energy are:
- b vitamins
- find lumps on your neck or chin
- have low mood or feel very anxious
- are waking up at night gasping for breath
- experience muscle or joint pain
- have recently travelled abroad or have had recent insect or tick bites
- feel your limbs are weaker or more numb
You should also see a doctor if its not going away or youre not sure what caused it. Try our Smart Symptom Checker.
How Will I Know If I Have Extreme Fatigue
In extreme fatigue, severe tiredness isnt just the only symptom youll feel. Its usually accompanied by many other symptoms. They are a mix of physical, mental and emotional discomforts. Below are some of them:
- Headaches
- Mood swings, anxiety and depression
- Increased appetite
Many women cant pinpoint the cause of their fatigue, but experts say this symptom has triggers that you can address.
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