Memory Loss and Menopause

Womanhood and menstruation make deep relation throughout for a long time. After a certain age however, the body signals for stopping the functioning of her reproductive system. This signaling leads to what is known as the perimenopause phase. Once this starts, there is a whole process of reactions and changes to halt the menstruation cycle and begin the phase of menopause. During this period, a woman has to deal with a lot of physical and mental changes, like hot flashes, bone and heart issues, mood swings, irritability, etc.

Amongst the many symptoms and signs of menopause, a lot of women today complain of forgetfulness, difficulty in remembering something, etc. To be precise, a lot of her mental issues are related to memory loss. Well, the term may sound severe and serious, but what we refer to as weak memory, that happens during the end of menstrual cycle, and the transition into it from menstruation, is not so very serious, like complete or partial deletion of memory. Do not panic if you are amongst the ones dealing with such and related issues. It is absolutely natural and common to feel this way. So what are these fluctuations in memory and what makes you go blank suddenly, when you try to recall a name or an address, or even few noticeable things like, forgetting the keys, forgetting to check the oven, etc. To top it off, there may be fuzzy thinking, poor concentration, and mood swings. This is much more agonizing than dealing with menopause physically. Dealing with the symptoms is important and possible in many ways today.

Memory Loss and Menopause Connection

There has been a lot of research on finding the exact cause of forgetting things during menopause. There is no concrete answer that completely resolves this mystery. However, there are certain findings that support the possible causes. Most of the women relate this to the early symptoms of Alzheimer's and other memory diseases, which is not the case.

• The most common cause for memory loss is the hustle in the hormonal balance in your body. Due to the imbalance on hormonal levels, the levels of estrogen hormones drop. Now, estrogen is also responsible for stimulation of neurotransmitters in the brain, that takes care of your memory. It also helps in good blood circulation in the brain, that enhances memory and thinking. The sudden drop in estrogen results in poor stimulation and blood circulation to the brain, and that in turn causes fuzzy thinking.
• A study also reveals that losing memory is not a physical activity that happens in the brain, and it literally also does not completely justify the term that means losing memory. It was observed that trouble concentrating and forgetfulness was an issue for women in the early and later stages of perimenopause. Women going through this phase generally suffer from decreased capacity of comprehending and learning in the first place, that leads to poor recalling of that information, because the brain never really stored it fully to recall it later.
• Adding to it is the stress and lifestyle that a woman deals within the mid forties to fifties. Issues like hectic lifestyles, health issues like obesity, poor diet, stress, hypothyroidism and depression, add to the cause of poor memory. With so much to worry and with the attention scattered in all possible directions, the brain will just not get enough of space to remember each issue. With technology on the drive, everything that once needed concentration and the brain to actually work and think, has come down to a click. Simple things like a spell check, speed dials, mechanical calculations, and more, have tuned in a lazy brain.
• It is also observed that due to mood swings and irritability, most women tend to over-hype that they have weak memory and similar symptoms. Whereas, this will sometimes be psychological, as women know they are dealing with menopause. The whole anxiety and stress, and a lot of other factors may hype forgetful and poor memory.

While this condition should not be ignored completely, the treatment should not be taken without a complete check up and diagnosis either. Most women feel that hormone therapy will improve the balance in hormones, and hence help in curbing memory loss and other related issues. However, therapy should be taken only after a medical examination, complete study of the history, long and short memory trend, stress management skills, etc. A lot of changes in the lifestyle can also help women dealing with weak memory. The basics being complete nutrition with memory improving foods like fish, berries and nuts, and regular exercise. One can even design a set of mental exercises like visualizing the list of chores to complete, keeping the mind engaged with learning new things and activities, etc. Give enough rest to your body, and do not take stress.

Menopause is just another phase that your body is dealing with, and there is nothing to worry about. The more you worry, the stronger will be the symptoms. Follow a good lifestyle and keep up with those medical examinations, and that's all that is needed for a routine and healthy womanhood.