Menopause is rare. If you are a human female, you are born with all the eggs you will have in your ovaries. By the time you reach fifty, all the eggs have disappeared. You stop having your period. As your hormone levels change, you experience symptoms ranging from hot flashes to loss of bone density. We don’t know much about it, because only humans and some whales experience it. There is also a research gap specifically for women’s health.
A number of recent initiatives are trying to change this, from both the public and private sectors. Last year, First Lady Jill Biden launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health to help close the research gap on conditions such as menopause. Additionally, if you own an Apple Watch, you can choose to contribute your data to the Apple Women’s Health Studydesigned to advance the understanding of menstrual cycles.
Yesterday, smart ring maker Oura announced its first Perimenopause reportwhich aggregates long-term data from 100,000 deidentified Oura ring users to help understand how perimenopause and menopause could affect your daily life.
Majority
Photography: Adrienne So
The term “perimenopause” refers to the years leading up to menopause, which is when your period ends; some call it “second puberty“Because the range of physical symptoms is very wide. It usually lasts about four years, but in some women it can last up to 14 years. It’s mind-blowing to think that 50 percent of the human population experiences more than a decade of sleep disorders due to night sweats, memory problemsor weight gain (or loss, it affects everyone differently).
As Oura reports in its data, only 28 percent of women know what will happen during perimenopause, which is a huge information gap when you consider that every high school student takes a health class to prepare for what happens. with your period. The first step is even recognizing that it is happening. To that end, Oura recently added 17 new tags, such as hot flashes, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and spotting, so its users can start noticing trends on their own timelines.
One of the most significant findings of the Oura report is that sleep is greatly affected during peri- and postmenopause. Hot flashes increase dramatically during perimenopause and early postmenopause. A hot flash can last anywhere from thirty seconds to 10 minutes, and 69 percent of hot flashes are associated with waking up during the night. As anyone who has ever cared for a baby can attest, repeated awakenings during the night can affect their functioning the next day.
Acne, bloating, and migraines are some of the most common symptoms reported by women in the Oura perimenopausal age range. Most concerning to me is that perimenopausal women report a 20 to 30 percent decrease in heart rate variability (HRV). A high HRV means your nervous system is responsive and resilient; You can cope with changing situations, do a lot of physical activity and manage stress. Lower HRV is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events.
Community Perspectives
Even once you know that you are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, it can be a little difficult to know what to do about it. Menopausal hormone therapy It is a common, although somewhat controversial, option. But large-scale solutions, such as an employer adapted health conditions—they are a little out of our control. Still, if you notice that your sleep quality and HRV decline as you enter perimenopause, reducing amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume either more regular cardiovascular activity can help.
As public and private organizations learn to harness the power of smart rings and other wearable fitness devices, we can begin to shed some light on this uniquely human condition. It’s not just your imagination; You don’t have to find a way to achieve it on your own.