CBD and Menopause, can it help?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is becoming increasingly popular these days. It is a cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but it does not make you feel high. Instead, it is gaining popularity as a result of its medicinal properties. Therefore, many people buy CBD oil.
CBD is used for a variety of purposes, including menopause. Menopause is recognized when a woman has not menstruated in more than 12 months and can no longer become pregnant. It generally happens between the ages of 45 and 55. It is linked to a slew of signs and symptoms, including heat flashes and weight gain.
Is it feasible that CBD might assist in the relief of any of these symptoms? Continue reading to discover out.
What is menopause?
Menopause occurs 12 months following a woman’s final menstrual cycle. The menopausal transition, also known as perimenopause, occurs in the years preceding up to menopause, when women may experience changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms.
Between the ages of 45 and 55, the menopausal transition usually begins. It normally lasts seven years, although it can last up to fourteen years. The length of time it takes can be determined by lifestyle variables such as smoking, the age at which it begins, and race and ethnicity. The body’s production of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones produced by the ovaries, changes dramatically during perimenopause.
Each woman’s menopausal transition is different and affects her in different ways. Women may acquire weight more quickly when the body begins to utilize energy differently, fat cells shift, and the body begins to use energy differently. Changes in bone and heart health, body form and composition, and physical function are all possible.
Do I have menopause?
If you are experiencing symptoms that are prevalent throughout menopause, your doctor may inquire about your age, symptoms, and family history to establish if your difficulties are truly due to the menopausal transition. To rule out any other explanations for the changes you are experiencing, your doctor may recommend a blood test to examine your follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels.
Although the menopausal transition is frequently referred to as “menopause,” real menopause occurs one year following a woman’s last menstrual cycle. As a result, if a woman does not want to become pregnant, she should take birth control for at least a year following her last menstruation.
A hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the ovaries, which generate hormones, can also cause menopause. If your uterus or ovaries are removed during surgery and you are not taking hormones, you will experience menopausal symptoms right away.
Women undergo postmenopause after menopause. Heart disease and osteoporosis are more common in postmenopausal women. It’s critical to maintain a nutritious diet, stay active, and acquire adequate calcium during this period to maintain optimal bone health.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Many areas of a woman’s body need estrogen. As estrogen levels drop, you may experience a variety of symptoms. Many women have moderate symptoms that can be alleviated by making simple lifestyle modifications like avoiding coffee or carrying a portable fan. Some women require no therapy at all, while others experience more severe symptoms. Symptom intensity varies widely around the globe, as well as by race and ethnicity. A woman in a boat is shown in this illustration.
Here are some of the most frequent changes you could experience as you approach middle age. Some of these symptoms may be attributed to aging rather than menopause.
Mood changes
Around the time of menopause, you may feel moodier or irritable. Scientists are baffled as to why this occurs. These mood swings might be caused by stress, family changes such as growing children or elderly parents, a history of depression, or simply being sleepy. Discuss your concerns with your primary care physician or mental health professional.
Hot flashes
Many women experience hot flashes following menopause, which can linger for years. They might be linked to fluctuating estrogen levels. A hot flash is a quick sensation of warmth in the upper torso or throughout the entire body. Your cheeks and neck may flush. Your chest, back, and arms may develop red spots. Heavy sweating and chilly shivers may occur as a result. Hot flashes might be quite light or very powerful, causing you to wake up (called night sweats). The majority of heat flashes last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. They can occur multiple times each hour, several times per day, or perhaps once or twice per week.
Sleep
Some women struggle to obtain a decent night’s sleep when they approach middle age. Perhaps you find it difficult to fall asleep or you wake up too early. Night sweats may wake you up. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you may find it difficult to return to sleep.
Body feels different
It is possible that your waist will expand. You may lose muscle and acquire fat. It is possible that your skin will thin. You may experience memory issues, as well as stiff and achy joints and muscles. Researchers are looking at these shifts and how they relate to hormones and aging.
Vaginal health
The vaginal mucosa may become drier after menopause, making sexual intercourse painful. You could also notice that your attitudes around sex are shifting. You could be less interested, or you might feel more liberated and sexier because you cannot become pregnant after a year without a period.Â
However, sexually transmitted infections (STDs) such as gonorrhea or HIV/AIDS may still be a concern. If you have intercourse with more than one person or with someone who has sex with others, your chance of contracting STD rises. If this is the case, make sure your partner always uses a condom when you have sex.
Bladder control
Incontinence is the lack of bladder control. Urine may flow while activity, sneezing, or laughing, or you may experience a sudden desire to urinate. Seeing a doctor is the first step in managing incontinence. Bladder infections can also strike people in their forties and fifties.
Can CBD help?
Menopause is a normal shift in a person’s life, and CBD is not a solution for it. There is no scientific proof that CBD can help with menopausal symptoms in general, and it is unlikely to help you control things like hot flashes.
It may, however, aid in the management of some other menopausal symptoms.
Anxiety and depression
Changes in hormones during menopause might put you at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Depression and anxiety help from a reputable source. CBD shows potential as a therapy for a variety of anxiety problems, according to a 2015 study by Trusted Source, but further research is required.
Joint pain
Inflammation can cause joint discomfort in the knees, shoulders, neck, hands, and elbows when estrogen levels drop throughout menopause. Menopause-related arthritis can also be caused by old joint injuries resurfacing.
CBD has been shown to be an effective therapy for arthritis. Topical CBD was proven to lower inflammation and pain-related behaviors in a 2015 animal research. Topical CBD exhibited therapeutic promise for arthritis-related pain and inflammation, according to scientists, with no negative side effects.
Insomnia
During menopause, many women notice that sleep quality suffers. The therapeutic use of CBD for anxiety and sleep issues was examined in a small 2019 study from Trusted Source, with researchers concluding that it may be beneficial, albeit sleep quality did change over the course of the study.
A reassessment in 2020 of much clinical research on cannabis and sleep has revealed that they can enhance sleep quality, reduce sleep disruptions, and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. However, the authors point out that many of these studies were hampered by small sample numbers, the use of validated metrics, and the examination of sleep as a secondary component.
Regulating moods
Estrogen may use the ECS to modulate emotions, according to studies. Of course, this helps to explain why mood swings are more prevalent during menopause when estrogen levels fall. Furthermore, some experts believe that endocannabinoid insufficiency might be linked to early menopause.
Furthermore, CBD can reduce symptoms caused by the decreased estrogen level. Estrogen, the gender hormone, plays an essential role in the menstrual cycle. This hormone is linked to the ECS. During menopause, estrogen levels decrease and various symptoms occur, such as hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, or dry mouth and skin. When the estrogen level decreases, the ECS will begin to function a little less well and even become unbalanced. This creates an imbalance in the body, which can cause women to experience unpleasant symptoms. The ECS can be brought back into balance through the intake of external cannabinoids, for example, CBD. This will reduce the symptoms.
Conclusion
Menopause symptoms may be unpleasant, so it is understandable that you would want to find ways to control them. While there is no proof that CBD can help with menopausal symptoms specifically, there is research that suggests it can help with other symptoms.