We know what menopause is, but have you heard of the climacteric?
by Ruth Alonso on Jun 14, 2023
You are 48 years old, your periods are no longer as regular, you don't sleep as well as before, you are irritable... What is happening to you? Possibly you are reaching what is known as perimenopause or climacteric.
And there are 3 very characteristic symptoms of reaching this stage:- Change in character: you cry over unimportant things, you are more irritable and more nervous.
- Problems sleeping well: The dream transforms, it becomes more superficial and you wake up at night.
- Hot flashes: Sudden feeling of internal heat, which causes redness and sweating, often at night, making it more difficult to sleep.
Climaterium: what happens to us?
Vaginal dryness:
It is a very common discomfort, it affects 40% of women, and it begins to appear during the climacteric.
Like the rest of the symptoms, it is linked to a lack of estrogen, which in this case causes genital atrophy. This atrophy can cause irritation, itching in the vagina, and dryness or decreased lubrication, causing pain during sexual intercourse.
All these symptoms that, if they begin with the climacteric, are much more evident in menopause. And although totally linked to a hormonal decrease, that is to say that we cannot prevent them from happening, we can try to minimize them.
First of all it is important follow healthy lifestyle habits, such as quitting smoking (since tobacco reduces the effects of the body's natural estrogens), controlling weight (being overweight is linked to a greater risk of genitourinary pathologies) and reducing stress (the Increased cortisol levels produce an imbalance in estrogen secretion).
And another factor that can help improve vaginal dryness is sexual activity, since activity through intercourse will promote the elasticity and lubrication of the vagina.
lack of libido
As we have explained, sexual relations can help us improve vaginal dryness, but in this phase we find that due to hormonal imbalance and also vaginal atrophy our libido and sexual desire decrease. And it ends up being a fish that bites its tail: we reduce our sexual activity and this generates more vaginal atrophy.
Food supplements in the climacteric, perimenopause and menopause
There are different ingredients, with more and more demonstrated clinical evidence, that will naturally help us relieve these symptoms and continue with our lifestyle.
To treat dry mucous membranes, sea buckthorn stands out, a fruit rich in fatty acids and which also contains antioxidants, beta-carotenes, vitamin E and plant sterols, which gives it properties to improve vaginal dryness and prevent itching in the intimate area.
In the case of libido, one of the most used and proven ingredients is Andean maca, a tuber that improves energy and enhances sexual desire in a natural and effective way.
That is to say, there is a lot of life after the climacteric, we just have to know what is happening to us, learn to listen to our body, take care of ourselves and continue enjoying!
