Life is constantly changing. It doesn’t stop changing as you get older. Thanks to menopause, you can now expect hormonal changes. And it won’t happen overnight. In fact, there is a long (sometimes decade-long) period before menopause called perimenopause. It is during this time that you are likely to feel these long-term changes begin to take effect.
Which Menopause Hormones Will Change?
The primary menopause hormones that shift are estrogen levels.
The main hormone women produce is estrogen. It is also the hormone most affected by perimenopause and menopause. Estrogen is responsible for the health of a woman’s reproductive organs. When a woman enters her post-childbearing years, a decline in estrogen can cause weight gain, spikes in cortisol, and other hormone-related issues.
A drop in estrogen can also cause a woman’s body to become overly sensitive to small fluctuations in body temperature. This is when hot flashes and night sweats can occur.
Other Hormonal Changes in Women
Estrogen is not the only hormone affected by menopause and perimenopause. There are other hormonal changes in women that occur during this stage as well.
A woman entering this stage of her life can also expect a decrease in her progesterone levels. (Although in some women, this may begin prior to the perimenopause stage.)
This can cause irregular menstrual cycles, heavier and longer periods, and inevitably cause them to stop entirely. Progesterone also prepares the uterine lining for fertilized eggs. The body finds this an unnecessary process when it ages.
Whereas most men have an overabundance of testosterone, women produce lower levels of this hormone in their lives. During menopause, women can also expect a decrease in their already low levels of testosterone, causing their libido to drop.
For more clarity on what to expect during menopause and how you can use the knowledge to lose weight, contact our team.