6 surprising ways your body changes after menopause

Hot flashes. Night sweats. Mood swings. These are the symptoms that usually come to mind when you think menopause. But “the change” can have other surprising and unwanted effects on your body and mind, says OB-GYN Mary Jane Minkin, MD.

Some of these effects, such as brain fog, go away once you’ve fully gone through menopause. Others, such as weight gain, can be controlled through lifestyle. And then there are those, such as dry eye, that are often here to stay.

Still, even with stubborn postmenopausal issues, you can do a lot to keep them in check. Here’s how.

Hair loss

More than half of postmenopausal women report having some hair loss. This may be due partly to the loss of estrogen that comes with menopause. It could also be caused by an underlying condition such as thyroid disease.

Tips that can help: Treatment will depend on the cause. Be sure to work with your doctor. But eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin may also help, reports the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). So can using some over-the-counter (OTC) products such as topical minoxidil.

Eye changes

During and after menopause, you may notice new eye symptoms such as:

• Dry and scratchy eyes
• Frequent tearing. (With dry eye, your body makes more watery tears to compensate.)
• Sensitivity to light

Tips that can help: Most women can find relief by:

• Using OTC artificial tear drops
• Drinking plenty of water
• Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements

Also, regular eye exams are a must. The reason: Postmenopausal women have a higher risk of cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) and glaucoma. Catching and treating these issues early can help fend off vision loss or even blindness.

Cognitive problems

Many women say they feel more forgetful and have “brain fog” while going through menopause.

A recent study sheds some light on why. Scientists scanned the brains of 161 women between the ages of 40 and 65 who were in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. They found several brain changes, including a decrease in brain matter and increases in deposits of proteins linked with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips that can help: The good news is that women’s memory issues and fogginess often fade on their own over time. In the meantime, eat a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet. It’s rich in:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Fish
• Healthy fats such as olive oil

This way of eating seems especially supportive of brain health. In fact, in a study, middle-aged adults who followed a Mediterranean diet had fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in their brain than those who didn’t.

Another important way to boost your brainpower: Get plenty of Z’s, because some memory problems may simply be due to sleep deprivation.

Bone loss

Women (and men) start to experience bone loss in their 30s. But the process speeds up in women after menopause.

Tips that can help: If you’ve gone through menopause and you’re under 65, ask your doctor if you need a bone density test. If you’re 65 or older and haven’t had a bone density test, schedule one.

There are medications that can help slow bone loss. Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements may also help:

• 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 IU of vitamin D every day for all women over age 50. Once women reach age 71, they need 800 IU of vitamin D a day.
• 1,000 mg of calcium and 600 IU of vitamin D daily for women 50 or younger

Weight gain

Women gain about five pounds on average after menopause. Lower estrogen levels play a role. But the bigger culprit is often just the natural metabolic slowdown that comes with age.

It’s important to keep an eye on this weight gain. It can raise your risk for health problems such as:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes

Tips that can help: For starters, stick with that Mediterranean diet. One study found that postmenopausal women who did were able to lose the same amount of weight as perimenopausal women.

Also, do some resistance training. This type of exercise uses weights or your own body weight to build strength and endurance. Examples include:

• Lifting weights
• Doing squats and planks
• Light yoga, which has been shown to help increase muscle mass in postmenopausal women

And more muscle mass may help you burn more calories.

Higher risk of heart disease

An overall increase in heart attacks is seen in women about a decade after menopause. As your estrogen levels go down, your LDL, or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides go up. At the same time, your HDL, or good cholesterol, stays the same or decreases.

You’re also more likely to develop insulin resistance, which raises your risk of heart disease.

Tips that can help: Eating a heart-healthy diet and getting regular exercise are two great moves. But it’s also important to stay on top of heart health screenings. This includes knowing key numbers such as your:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• BMI
• Fasting blood sugar

If your numbers aren’t where they should be, work with your doctor to bring them back into a healthy range.

One final thought? It’s important to remember that menopause isn’t a disease. It’s a natural part of a woman’s life cycle. You can turn it into a positive by using this time to really take stock of your health.