Every woman experiences menopause. But not every woman knows what to expect – or even what she may be experiencing that could be caused by menopause. (It’s so much more than hot flashes.) We caught up with menopause specialist & Advocare The Women’s Group For OB/GYN founder Wendy Martinez, MD, to find out what women should know about menopause as they age. 

What – exactly – is menopause?

Let’s set the record straight. Menopause is when a woman does not have a period for 12 consecutive months. It usually happens around age 51. And perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, when a woman may have irregular periods and other symptoms. Perimenopause typically begins in a woman’s 40s.

Getting rid of the stigma

The stigma around menopause has made it mysterious, and sometimes even scary, for years and years. But menopause doesn’t have to be scary, and women don’t have to view it as an end to their present lifestyle. Just a change.

Wendy Martinez, MD

“It’s a shame, because ‘menopause’ shouldn’t be a bad word,” Dr. Martinez says. “When you have a physician to guide you through it, you can manage your symptoms in ways that make the change much less scary. It’s something every woman will go through, so instead of pretending it’ll never happen, we should embrace this change and learn how to manage the symptoms.”  

Don’t underestimate brain fog

Again, menopause isn’t something to be afraid of. But that doesn’t mean you won’t experience some intense symptoms, like brain fog. “A lot of patients come in thinking they’re going into premature Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Martinez. “They walk into a room and can’t remember what they are there for. They’re tired all the time. They worry they may lose their jobs to someone younger because they can’t focus. It really is scary.” 

You’ll most likely experience hot flashes 

Hot flashes are practically synonymous with menopause nowadays. And there’s a reason for that, since it’s one of the most common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. So it’s good to know what to expect. 

“75 percent of women will have hot flashes during menopause and perimenopause, and they can be pretty nasty,” Dr. Martinez says. “It’s not just feeling warm – it can be really rough on women, and the hot flashes can keep coming, back sometimes for up to 10 years.” 

There’s help

Dr. Martinez is a menopause specialist, having been a member of the North American Menopause Society for the past 25 years – making her one of only a handful of doctors who are NAMS-certified menopause practitioners in New Jersey. She also lectures extensively on the topic and has spent decades helping women manage their symptoms.

“Menopause is something no one wants to talk about – and if they do, it’s in whispers,” she says. “Women will share that they’re having irregular periods because that can be caused by so many different things, but they may not want to talk about hot flashes or waking up in the middle of the night sweating, because it can become a stigma of getting older.”

But Dr. Martinez stresses the importance of sharing this information with your doctor, because you can be helped. And that’s one reason why Dr. Martinez chooses to have an all-female team in her practice – they understand what you’re going through more intimately.