Memory problems at menopause are usually linked to hormone decline, not dementia.
It’s been about a year since your last period. You find yourself becoming more absentminded. You sometimes grope for the right word when you speak, you have trouble concentrating, your attention span is shot, and you just can’t seem to get organized. You can’t avoid the sneaking suspicion at the back of your mind: “Could this be early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s?”
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Memory problems are extremely common during menopause, with symptoms peaking during the first year for most women. It’s easy to understand why these symptoms conjure up fears of Alzheimer’s, but the good news is that for most women, the memory problems suffered at a menopause are not caused by a degenerative disease but instead can be traced to a totally treatable hormonal imbalance.
Why Menopause Affects Your Memory
Women have estrogen receptors all over their bodies, and progesterone is necessary to ensure estrogen binds correctly to these receptors. So, when production of estrogen and progesterone decline at menopause, this naturally affects the whole body.
With respect to the brain, the loss of healthy estrogen and progesterone (both potent neurotransmitters) affects verbal memory and executive function. This explains why you have trouble remembering names and staying organized enough to complete your tasks.
Declining estrogen also affects overall brain function, because healthy estrogen normally helps to dilate blood vessels in the brain. With less estrogen, there is less dilation, less blood flow, and greater issues with cognitive function, especially memory and concentration.
Other menopause symptoms can also loop back and affect memory and concentration. For example, you might be having trouble sleeping due to night sweats or insomnia, and sleep deprivation certainly affects the brain. Or, you might be feeling a lot of stress due to menopause symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, depression, or you might be worried about changes to your sex life affecting your relationship. These types of worries cause the release of a stress hormone called cortisol. In large quantities, cortisol can be very damaging to the brain (especially memory), as well as to virtually every other system in the body.
Treating Memory Problems at Menopause
Fortunately, you do not have to just accept declining memory or concentration at menopause. Instead, you can restore the healthy levels of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones that you need to feel your best by getting hormone replacement therapy from Renew Woman™. Our proven safe and effective treatments work best in conjunction with diet and exercise to help not only improve memory, but relieve all your menopause symptoms and support your overall health. To learn more, please contact Renew Woman™ at 800-859-7511.