The stopping of periods is not the only manifestation of menopause in women. According to Inserm, 87% of women have at least one symptom in addition to the cessation of periods. 20 to 25% of them suffer from severe disorders which considerably affect their quality of life. Among these symptoms, some are less common and little known.
1 – Brain fog
Menopausal brain fog is the name given to a group of symptoms. Among them, theInternational Menopause Society cite “difficulty remembering words and numbers, disruptions in daily life (misplacing objects like keys), problems concentrating (disappearing, losing the train of thought, being more easily distracted), difficulty passing moving from one task to another, forgetting the reason for doing something (like why you walked into a room), and forgetting appointments and events.”
These cognitive disorders are believed to be caused by hormonal variation and the drop in estrogen. The stress and lack of sleep that many women in peri- or menopause suffer from also present aggravating factors.
2 – Dry eyes
In 2023, British opticians and ophthalmologists warned in the Daily Mail on dry eye and increased risk of infection linked to menopause. Quoted by the British daily, Badrul Hussain, ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital from London, explained: “Hormonal changes can affect the meibomian glands, which produce a type of oil that helps the eye protect and lubricate itself.”
Charlotte Cook, optometrist, quoted in the same media, emphasized that the shape of the cornea can evolve under the action of hormonal changes. “ This can cause problems for women who wear contact lenses, so it may be a good idea to have your eyes checked,” she adds.
3 – Burning mouth syndrome
Burning sensation, tingling on the tongue, palate, dry mouth… the prevalence of burning mouth syndrome, also called glossodynia, is found in 18 to 30% of postmenopausal women.
Although its mechanism is poorly understood, it is associated with a reduction in estrogen, which plays an important role in saliva production. Less saliva would thus be responsible for a dry mouth and the burning sensation.
Dry mouth syndrome is not the only oral problem experienced by menopausal women.
Hormonal changes act on the gums and supporting bone, increasing the risk of periodontal disease (all of the tissues that support the teeth), including gingivitis and dry mouth. It is therefore important to benefit from regular follow-up by your dentist.
4 – Musculoskeletal disorders
The collapse in hormone production is also responsible for the onset or worsening of joint pain. Among them, lower back pain, inflammatory flare-ups of osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.
These muscular and joint disorders affect 40 to 60% of postmenopausal women. “They can have harmful repercussions on physical activity, even though it helps reduce many symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, weight gain, osteopenia and osteoporosis),” explains Elodie Rousset, chiropractor, President of the French Chiropractic Association.
5 – Heart palpitations
It was with these palpitations that the American host and producer Oprah Winfrey began her menopause, but her doctors were looking for a heart disease which they could not find. “Heart palpitations and insomnia were warning signs of change. But no one, not even my trusted doctors, warned me, and when my symptoms appeared, we looked for the most serious explanation – heart disease – instead of the most likely. explains the queen of the American talk show on her blog.
According to lamenoapause.fr, 26% of women are affected by these palpitations which result in rapid beating in the chest or a feeling of oppression. If these palpitations are most often benign, it is important to check with a specialist.
6 – Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is one of the symptoms linked to genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Its name is little known but it corresponds to better known symptoms of menopause, associated with the decrease in estrogens and other sex steroids.
They are divided into three groups of symptoms: vulvovaginal symptoms (vaginal dryness, burning and irritation), sexual symptoms (dyspareunia, mainly, that is to say pain felt at the genital level, during and after intercourse sexual) and urinary symptoms.
In this last group of symptoms we find urge urinary incontinence, that is to say an urgent, sudden and irrepressible need to urinate. Also include urinary infections, pollakiuria (excessive frequency of urination), nocturia (getting up more than once a night to urinate), pain when urinating.
