What You Need to Know About Menopause

Age is just a number. Positive thinking, and attitude help keep you happy. Your smile is an outside manifestation of a positive attitude which promotes good health. Unfortunately, our physical bodies still need to go through the aging process which for many women sounds scary.

When I heard the word “menopause” for the first time and talked to women who were experiencing it, those menopause symptoms sounded negative. In the U.S., approximately 1.3 million women transition into
menopause each year. The uncertainty of menopause and the physical discomfort associated with it scare women. Menopause symptoms influence not only our physical lifestyle, but our mental health.

Menopause is a hot topic. Discussions surrounding menopause include hormone replacement therapy, (HRT) along with its risks and benefits. Open communication about the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy provides support for women experiencing the permanent cessation of periods. Most natural menopause is preceded by 2-8 years of transition called perimenopause, which includes increasingly irregular hormone levels and hence irregular periods. Because FSH levels begin to rise with perimenopause, initially periods might become more frequent.

Menopause is typically diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without menstruation. Although menopause usually occurs in women during their 50s, the average age in the U.S. is 51 years, but menopause can occur in the 40s or even earlier. The U.S. life expectancy for women is 81 years, which means women spend one-third of their life in menopause.

In addition to the irregular periods associated with perimenopause, there is the onset of hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, mood changes, trouble finding words, and trouble remembering…part of brain fog. During menopause, missing a period could mean menopause—or pregnancy.

When in doubt, check with a pregnancy test. Perimenopause is an important time for you to have accurate information about your ovulation cycles which can be irregular. Women must be very careful during perimenopause because they can still become pregnant. A few years ago, saw a 55-year-old lady pregnant with triplets. As perimenopause advances, periods will spread out. You need to know if you’re pregnant or just advancing in your menopause?

Right now, you have KnoWhen, an amazing tool to track menopause with your own saliva. A simple test that checks a drop of saliva the first thing in the morning is all you need. KnoWhen will give you peace of mind and freedom for planning your daily schedule with an eye on your hormone status. It might sound too good to be true, but KnoWhen is an advanced saliva ovulation tracker with a free Fertility App which can help you track what’s happening to your body.

What’s more, KnoWhen is reusable. You buy it and use it daily all year to learn about your menopause status. No need to keep buying urine strips. Your own saliva will give you a complete understanding of your menopause health and will help you get through perimenopause smoothly and naturally. Women can unlock the secret of their personal and unique menopause cycle by simply using a drop of saliva.

KnoWhen testing information will help healthcare professionals improve their knowledge of your hormone status during perimenopause and beyond. KnoWhen is the definitive and evidence-based resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, the media, and the public.

KnoWhen can play a big role in conversations for improving women’s healthcare experiences during perimenopause and beyond.