Health. Menopause: Six unexpected symptoms that few women experience

The cessation of periods is not the only manifestation of menopause in women. According to Inserm, 87% of women experience at least one symptom in addition to the cessation of periods.

20 to 25% of them suffer from severe disorders that significantly affect their quality of life. Among these symptoms, some are less frequent and little known.

1 – Brain fog

Menopausal brain fog is the name given to a collection of symptoms.

Among them, the International Menopause Society quoted “difficulty remembering words and numbers, disruptions in daily life (misplacing things like keys), problems concentrating (fading away, losing your train of thought, being more easily distracted), difficulty switching between tasks, forgetting the reason for doing something (like why you entered a room), and forgetting appointments and events.”

These cognitive disorders are thought to be caused by hormonal fluctuations and the decline in estrogen. Stress and lack of sleep, which many women suffer from during or during menopause, are also aggravating factors.

2 – Dry eyes

In 2023, British opticians and ophthalmologists warned in THE Daily Mail on dry eye and an increased risk of infection associated with menopause.

Quoted by the British daily, Badrul Hussain, ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital from London, explained: "Hormonal changes can affect the meibomian glands, which produce a type of oil that helps the eye protect and lubricate itself."

Charlotte Cook, optometrist, quoted in the same media, pointed out that the shape of the cornea can change under the influence of hormonal changes.

"This can cause problems for women who wear contact lenses, so it may be a good idea to have your eyes checked," she adds.

3 – Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning sensation, tingling on the tongue, palate, dry mouth... the prevalence of burning mouth syndrome, also called glossodynia, is found in 18 to 30% of postmenopausal women.

Although its mechanism is poorly understood, it is believed to be associated with a decrease in estrogen, which plays an important role in saliva production. Less saliva is thus responsible for a dry mouth and a burning sensation.

Dry mouth syndrome isn't the only oral problem experienced by postmenopausal women.

Hormonal changes are thought to affect the gums and supporting bone, increasing the risk of periodontal disease (the tissue that supports the teeth), including gingivitis and dry mouth. It is therefore important to have regular checkups with your dentist.

The collapse of hormone production is also responsible for the onset or worsening of joint pain.

These include lower back pain, inflammatory flare-ups of osteoarthritis, tendinopathies, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. These muscular and joint disorders affect 40 to 60% of postmenopausal women.

"They can have harmful repercussions on physical activity, even though it helps reduce many symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, weight gain, osteopenia and osteoporosis)," explains Elodie Rousset, chiropractor, President of the French Chiropractic Association.

5 – Heart palpitations

It was with these palpitations that American presenter and producer Oprah Winfrey began her menopause, but her doctors were looking for a heart condition that they could not find.

“Heart palpitations and insomnia were warning signs of change. But no one, not even my trusted doctors, warned me, and when my symptoms appeared, we looked for the most serious explanation—heart disease—instead of the most likely one,” the American talk show queen explains on her blog.

26% of women affected

According to lamenoapause.fr, 26% of women are affected by these palpitations, which result in rapid beating in the chest or a feeling of oppression.

Although these palpitations are most often benign, it is important to check with a specialist.

6 – Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is one of the symptoms associated with genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Its name is little known, but it corresponds to better-known symptoms of menopause, associated with the decline of estrogen and other sex steroids.

They are divided into three groups of symptoms: vulvovaginal symptoms (vaginal dryness, burning and irritation), sexual symptoms (mainly dyspareunia, i.e. pain felt in the genital area during and after sexual intercourse) and urinary symptoms.

This last group of symptoms includes urinary incontinence due to urgency, that is to say an urgent, sudden and irrepressible need to urinate.

Other symptoms include urinary tract infections, pollakiuria (excessive urination), nocturia (getting up more than once a night to urinate), and pain when urinating.

Source: International Menopause Society, Daily Mail, lamenopause.fr, Journal of Periodontology and Oral Implantology No. 3, French Chiropractic Association