Don't say: "Oh, you're not old enough for menopause yet." Is your friend confiding in you about a change in her period, poor bladder control, or other menopause-like symptoms?
You can encourage them to go for a walk, a swim or try a yoga class to get more active. Cutting down on alcohol and quitting smoking can help reduce the symptoms of menopause, so changing the ways you spend time together or socialise can really help.
Many men are uncomfortable discussing menopause, Saltz says, but try to talk about ways you can help relieve her symptoms as a team. Ask how you can ease their stress. Also, encourage better sleep habits, or start an exercise regimen together.
For other women, the menopausal transition can bring hot flashes, trouble sleeping, pain during sex, moodiness and irritability, depression, or a combination of these symptoms. Some may decide to talk with their doctor about lifestyle changes or medications to treat their symptoms.
The signs, such as light-headedness, a woozy feeling, nausea, and spinning, may come and go at any time. Treatment depends on the cause but can include lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and exercise.
Some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s. Other symptoms common in men this age are: mood swings and irritability.
It is common for a marriage to break down during a woman's menopausal years. In fact, divorce rates peak for couples aged 45 to 49 years old in the UK, with the average age for divorce being 43.9 for women and 46.4 for men (ONS).
Between possible changes in sex drive, sleeping patterns, mood swings, skin dryness, and weight gain, it can be hard to feel like yourself when menopause symptoms are taking over your body. Give her patience and space if she's not feeling up for intimacy but let her know the door is open for when she's ready.
Hot flashes and vaginal dryness are the two symptoms most frequently linked with menopause. Other symptoms associated with menopause include sleep disturbances, urinary complaints, sexual dysfunction, mood changes, and quality of life.
Avoid alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine. These can make menopausal symptoms worse. If you smoke, try to quit, not only for hot flashes, but for your overall health. Try to maintain a healthy weight.
'Communicate, support each other's needs, get counselling if needed, add romance, adjust lovemaking activities, and your odds increase that your marriage will survive menopause,' she says. 'Being on the same team will nourish a healthy, loving relationship that can last a lifetime.
The loss of estrogen and testosterone following menopause can lead to changes in a woman's body and sexual drive. Menopausal and postmenopausal women may notice that they're not as easily aroused, and they may be less sensitive to touching and stroking. That can lead to less interest in sex.
There's a myth that because you're going through the menopause, that your sex life is over, but this does not have to be the case. If you want to enjoy the pleasure that is available to you in your body, either alone or with a partner, it is all still there after the menopause.
Changes in your hormones during menopause can impact your mental health as well as your physical health. You may experience feelings of anxiety, stress or even depression. Menopausal symptoms may include: anger and irritability.
Depression, loss of libido, hot flashes, and lower back pain in menopause. And for still others? All of the above and more. This can all add up to extreme fatigue (and we're never our nicest when we're tired) and loss of patience with someone (you) who doesn't understand what a midlife woman is going through.
Hot flashes feel the same to men and women: A sudden feeling of warmth or flushing that is most intense over the head and trunk, often accompanied by visible redness of the skin and by sweating, which can be profuse. Hot flashes are most common at night.
touch avoidance – you may find you don't want to be touched. You may not feel like getting close and intimate because your skin feels more sensitive and you don't like the feeling of your combined body heat. physical discomfort of menopause symptoms may reduce your interest in sex or make you tired.
Jessica Harrison, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Courageous Counseling and Consulting, says a lack of long-term friendships is a major red flag. "It shows that they have not been committed to growing in relationships, which takes time and effort on both friends' part," says Harrison.
You may notice weight gain during menopause changes your body in different ways—for example, your face looks fuller or your belly is softer than it used to be. The weight you've gained in your abdomen during menopause will usually feel fleshy and thick, and you might notice some "rolls" of fat.