Most women are aware of the most common symptoms of menopause. The definition of menopause is one year without a period and symptoms can occur prior to that. Common symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, poor memory, irritability or mood disorders such as anxiety or depression, dry eyes, skin and/or vagina, fatigue, low libido and weight gain.

There are other symptoms that are more unusual and can be due to menopause.

• Tingling extremities – hormone fluctuation affects the central and peripheral nervous system. Many women in menopause can feel tingling in their hands, feet, arms and legs. Estrogen and progesterone protect neurons¹. Only bioidentical progesterone is neuroprotective, synthetic progestins are not.¹ Low estrogen increases the risk of developing the symptoms of nerve sensations such as tingling or numbness in menopause.² Hormones can help in regrowth and repair of neural tissues.³
• Burning mouth – mucous membranes in the mouth have hormone receptors. As hormones decrease, pain and discomfort or a feeling of burning, tingling, heat or numbness can occur in the mouth. The anterior two-third part and the tip of tongue are the most affected sites. ⁴Hypersensitivities to foods can develop and burning mouth is associated with deficiencies of B vitamins, iron, and diabetes, gastrointestinal disease, some medications and hormonal changes.⁵ Many patients had improvement with hormone replacement therapy and 96% of people in a study had resolution of symptoms with alpha lipoic acid. ⁴Correcting the underlying cause can relieve the symptoms.
• Change in taste and oral health – The oral and gut microbiome can be altered in menopause due to estrogen deficiency. Dry mouth can lead to increased cavities, a decrease in saliva production, and periodontal disease.⁶ Taste perception also changes. Postmenopausal women have altered perception of sweeter foods and tend to prefer sweeter foods that may increase weight. They are also less sensitive to the taste of fat, and this also may increase the intake of fatty foods that leads to weight gain and metabolic syndrome. ⁷
• Digestive changes can occur because the microbiome in your gut changes during menopause. This can lead to changes in digestion, food sensitivities and reactions to food that you normally could tolerate.
• Joint pain can be due to low estrogen. Estrogen regulates fluid in the body, helps with joint lubrication and decreases inflammation. Therefore, a menopausal woman lacking estrogen can experience arthritic pain. Some studies showed a decreased risk of osteoarthritis of the hip in long term estrogen users and others suggest it protects the bone forming cells called chondrocytes. ⁸

Treatment

Finding and treating the underlying cause is key to alleviating symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy is a good choice, however there are other issues that may need to be addressed. Having treated thousands of women with these issues these were the most effective:

• Balance and optimize all hormones including cortisol, estrogen, progesterone and thyroid.
• Test micronutrients and treat nutritional deficiencies.
• Regulate blood sugar with a whole food, low carbohydrate diet.
• Remove toxins and food sensitivities with our quick and easy Detoxification and Elimination diet.
• Decrease inflammation with anti-inflammatory foods and supplements.
• Decrease the stress hormone cortisol with adaptogenic herbs and relaxation techniques

It is astounding that some simple measures of diet, nutrients and hormone balancing can support you in getting relief from these symptoms and give you the energy, clarity, and freedom from symptoms so you can live the life you love.  If you need support, apply for a free, no obligation clarity call to find out if we are a good fit so you can alleviate the symptom of menopause.

References

1. Singh M, Sumien N, Kyser C, Simpkins JW. ESTROGENS AND PROGESTERONE AS NEUROPROTECTANTS: WHAT ANIMAL MODELS TEACH US. Front Biosci. 2008;13:1083-1089. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2586167/
2. Singh A, Asif N, Singh PN, Hossain MM. Motor Nerve Conduction Velocity In Postmenopausal Women with Peripheral Neuropathy. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(12):CC13-CC16. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/23433.9004
3. Sohrabji F, Miranda R, Toran-Allerand C. Estrogen differentially regulates estrogen and nerve growth factor receptor mRNAs in adult sensory neurons. J Neurosci. 1994;14(2):459-471. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.14-02-00459.1994
4. Dahiya P, Kamal R, Kumar M, Niti, Gupta R, Chaudhary K. Burning Mouth Syndrome and Menopause. Int J Prev Med. 2013;4(1):15-20. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3570906/
5. Ślebioda Z, Szponar E. Burning mouth syndrome – a common dental problem in perimenopausal women. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(3):198-202. doi:10.5114/pm.2014.43825
6. Suri V, Suri V. Menopause and oral health. J Midlife Health. 2014;5(3):115-120. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.141187
7. Delilbasi C, Cehiz T, Akal UK, Yilmaz T. Evaluation of gustatory function in postmenopausal women. Br Dent J. 2003;194(8):447-449; discussion 441. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.4810030
8. Roman-Blas JA, Castañeda S, Largo R, Herrero-Beaumont G. Osteoarthritis associated with estrogen deficiency. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(5):241. doi:10.1186/ar2791