Menopause and Itchy Ears?: Top 3 Menopause FAQ
Hot flashes, itchy ears, joint pain: menopause is no joke. The hormonal shifts that mark the end of menstruation in a woman’s forties and fifties bring with them a number of startling side effects. In this article we’ll cover three frequently asked questions about menopause. Including: does menopause cause itchy ears? Is it unusual to bleed after menopause? And can a woman get pregnant after menopause naturally. Let’s dive in.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is a natural process that marks the end of a woman’s fertility. Officially, menopause occurs when a woman has experienced 12 consecutive months without a period. During menopause, the body stops producing sufficient estrogen for the ovaries to produce eggs, leading to an end of ovulation and menstruation.
Lowered estrogen drives systemic changes beyond the reproductive system. As the body recalibrates its hormonal balance, joint pain, brain fog, itchy ears and dry skin signal serious internal upheaval. These symptoms are caused not only by falling estrogen, but changes in other hormones including progesterone and cortisol.
Top Menopause Symptoms
On average, menopause occurs at 52. However, perimenopause, the transition period between regular menstruation and full menopause, typically begins in a woman’s 40’s and lasts 5 to 10 years. Common menopause symptoms include:
–Irregular periods
–Night sweats
–Insomnia
–Frequent urination
–Vaginal dryness
–Increased PMS
–Tender breasts
–Racing heart
–Joint pain
–Dry skin
–Itchy ears
Menopause and Itchy Ears FAQs
Does Menopause Cause Itchy Ears?
Does menopause cause itchy ears? Unfortunately, yes. In the body, estrogen, working alongside other hormones and natural compounds, is responsible for maintaining hydration and elasticity in the skin. Additionally, estrogen helps support the production of natural oils and collagen, which not only keeps skin looking young, but helps it stay thick and healthy.
As a result, as levels of estrogen drop, skin dries out and becomes thinner. This is also true of the skin that lines the inner ear. With less lubrication from natural oil, and thinner, drier, weaker skin from dropping collagen levels, the skin inside the ear canal can become irritated, flaky, and itchy.
Is it unusual to bleed after menopause?
Postmenopausal bleeding is vaginal bleeding that occurs a year or more after your last period. While postmenopausal bleeding might look or even feel like period spotting, it’s important to remember that vaginal bleeding after menopause is never normal. In fact, it can be a sign of something serious: in about 10% of cases, postmenopausal bleeding is a symptom of uterine cancer. It can also be a symptom of uterine polyps (benign growths in the uterus), vaginal atrophy, or other health conditions.
Can a woman get pregnant after menopause naturally?
After menopause, it is no longer possible to get pregnant naturally. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s fertility. Once periods stop for good, the ovaries no longer experience ovulation, the process in which an egg matures and travels to the uterus to be fertilized.
However, in some cases, women who have experienced menopause may still be able to successfully conceive using IVF (in vitro fertilization) or other fertility treatments. Additionally, it’s important to remember that during perimenopause, it’s still possible to get pregnant, as menstruation hasn’t fully stopped.
