“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think hot flashes are that bad,” said Bridget as she and several other middle-aged women sat around the bistro table at the coffee shop, sipping their latte of the day and commiserating over the condition that would affect them all - menopause.
Tanya’s raised eyebrow indicated she didn’t agree. Her hot flashes were intense, and they happened frequently. One moment she was fine, the next she was throwing off the blankets in a panic and sweating through her pajamas. She couldn’t relate to her friend’s blasé attitude towards hot flashes.
“Ugh, for me it’s the weight gain,” said Barb. “It’s like I don’t even recognize my body anymore!”
“At least we don’t have to take the pill anymore,” offered Angie with a smirk. “I hated the pill. It always made me feel so ...”
“Hey wait - is that a thing?” Tanya interrupted. “My doctor said I could still get pregnant during menopause.”
Menopause is an inevitable part of aging that affects every woman, but that doesn’t mean it treats every woman the same. Some women don’t notice many changes or symptoms, while others experience severe hot flashes, weight gain, moodiness or a host of other common symptoms. Throw in a few old wives’ tales and myths about “the change”, and entering menopause can seem rather daunting.
So let’s just take the myths out of the equation. There are five common myths about menopause that you may be taking as fact. Breaking them down will help you separate the fact from the fiction about menopause.