Taking a Menopausal Moment

Some women (like my mother and grandmother, who had hysterectomies in their late 40s) have no symptoms during their menopausal journey. Lucky them!

In the U.S. (because research shows that cultural attitudes about menopause correlate with the types and frequency of symptoms), one of the most common symptoms of "the change" is hot flashes. We've seen commercials for medications that claim to help ease or avoid them, we see sitcoms make fun of women having them, and did you see the short video on social media of a woman eating a hot dog at a sporting event with STEAM coming off her head because she was having a hot flash during a chilly night? STEAM!

It's great that we're more publicly talking about menopause in general and I'm even a fan of laughing at some of the wacky things we women on the menopausal journey experience, but there are a host of other symptoms that are not as commonly discussed. These include: brain fog, frozen shoulder, itchy skin, changes in the way we taste, and new or worsening allergies?

We need to start discussing them...not to plant seeds in the minds of women that they will experience all (or any) of these symptoms, but to help women that DO experience even the wackiest of symptoms know that they are not alone and not crazy, even if healthcare providers don't realize that the symptoms are likely due to the menopause journey. So, let's let the cat out of the bag, ladies. If something feels "off" during this time of your life, do a little research, educate yourself, talk to a friend about it, and advocate for yourself so that you can find relief!!