ATLANTA — Menopause and its symptoms is a topic your mother may not have talked to you about.
But a metro Atlanta woman who wants to help other women by sharing her story about menopause sat down to discuss the issue with Channel 2′s Karyn Greer.
Every woman will experience menopause. But when it happens, will you be ready? Many women like Sharon Humpries were not.
“Nobody told me. I was not prepared,” Humpries said. “And I really think this needs to be an education for our young women. We should start getting this at 30.”
She said early-onset menopause started for her in her 40s after a hysterectomy. She removed both ovaries to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
But now at 63, all of the symptoms have returned.
“This past month alone, just depressed... no energy. Well, the libido has been gone,” she said.
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There is no set age for menopause. While the average age is 51, some women experience it in their 60s. That’s considered “late-onset menopause.”
Symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, sleepless nights, and brain fog can continue into a woman’s 60s.
Dr. Sharon Harley is an OB-GYN who now focuses her practice on helping women feel their best as they age.
Women who are undergoing menopause are a big part of her practice.
“Menopause is a transition in women’s lives when they stop seeing their monthly cycles and it usually is actually linked to declining in the female hormones,” Harley said. “You’re in a board room, breaking out in a sweat and losing your train of thought. These are all lifestyle and life-changing impacts of menopause.”
During and after menopause, women experience hormonal changes that can increase cardiovascular disease risk, including higher blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and a greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
“With the loss of hormones, the data is showing that women, when they transition into menopause, they’re actually at a higher risk for cardiac events,” Harley said.
Doctors say if you are suffering from any unexplained changes in your body, it’s crucial to talk to your doctor so you can get treatment.
“I tell people I suffer with depression but when I think about it - it was really during this menopause,” Humpries said.
Greer spoke to several doctors about menopause and one thing they all told her was that they are not taught about menopause in school.
There’s a chapter on changes in hormones, but that’s it.
Greer said women should open a line of communication and talk to their girlfriends and daughters. It could make a difference in their treatment.
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