Dr. Simone Silver, a functional medicine doctor from Cape Town, explained the journey women experienced through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. She noted that perimenopause often began in the late 30s or early 40s and could last 10 to 15 years before menopause. During this period, women’s ovaries gradually reduced their production of mature eggs, leading to declining progesterone and fluctuating estrogen levels. These hormonal changes resulted in symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, scattered thinking, and difficulty focusing. Women also experienced changes in their menstrual cycles, including heavier periods, spotting, breast tenderness, and intensified PMS symptoms.
As women approached menopause, their estrogen levels declined, causing lighter and less frequent periods, which eventually stopped. Dr. Silver described menopause as a process rather than a single event, emphasizing that the medical definition required 12 consecutive months without a period. She highlighted that women did not need to wait for this milestone to seek support or treatment.
After menopause, women’s bodies stopped producing estrogen and progesterone, leading to symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, and mood changes. Dr. Silver explained that these hormonal shifts affected neurochemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, influencing mood, motivation, and emotional resilience. She also mentioned the loss of testosterone, which impacted muscle mass, fat metabolism, and cognitive function.
Dr. Silver acknowledged the emotional challenges and feelings of anger or irritability that many women faced during menopause. She encouraged reframing menopause as a time of transformation and rebirth, rather than decline. She believed that with knowledge and appropriate therapies, both hormonal and non-hormonal women, could manage symptoms and embrace this phase as an opportunity for self-discovery and renewal.
