There are more than fifty of them circulating in our body: insulin, adrenaline, ACTH, oxytocin, cortisone, DHEA, vasopressin… These hormones fulfill multiple functions essential to our organism. “Hormones are life”, summarizes Dr Christian Jamin, gynecologist and endocrinologist. But in women, two of them stop being secreted at the time of menopause, estrogen and progesterone.
What happens when hormones run out
These hormones, if they act primarily on sexual behavior and organs dedicated to reproduction, actually have many other actions. Thus, estrogens increase muscle mass, protect our arteries, interact with the metabolism of blood lipids, stimulate bone production, promote the renewal of skin cells and our mucous membranes, interfere with our various microbiota (intestinal, bladder, vaginal, etc. ) and, of course, with our mood!
When they are lacking or simply to be secreted erratically as is the case in the years preceding menopause (perimenopause, also called premenopause), many sensitive organs start to malfunction, leading to “climacteric disorders” : hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, insomnia, palpitations, concentration disorders… In the longer term, this deficiency affects the health of the bones and the heart.
A turn to negotiate
Long presented as the “miracle solution” which protected women, the hormonal treatment of menopause (THM) was called into question by a large study in 2002, then rehabilitated, and again called into question. To the point that women lose their Latin: should or not be treated? What to do to minimize the impact of menopause? Experts want to be reassuring: “Menopause is a complicated turn in life, but a turn that can very well be negotiated if we have anticipated and prepared for it”, explains Dr Jamin.
Read also :
- The yoga of hormones to better experience menopause
- Does menopause lower libido?
- Doctor, I still have hot flashes