INDIA: Turning 30 marks the real beginning of adulthood for many women—the peak in career, health, or maybe even an established relationship too. But the negative impacts of a hectic lifestyle and various diets start to take a toll by the time they reach 35.
Women in their 30s experiences nutritional deficiencies
Ages 30-39 are prime time as women end a bout of adult acne and enter a new era, booming in their careers and usually expecting to expand their families. But after hitting 35, they start experiencing nutritional deficiencies and hormonal issues, which prevent them from getting pregnant.
Nowadays, it’s common that when women hit 35, they start to feel too tired to work, have mood swings, and have an erratic periods because they are suffering from many nutritional deficiencies, such as iron, vitamin D, and thyroid, the most important of which has started to influence the early symptoms of premature ovarian failure.
Such cases are on the rise. Experts say that women in their 30s are going through several nutritional deficiencies, which are having an impact on both their wellbeing and their careers.
“The majority of women are unaware of their nutritional deficits. They will then start to experience fatigue, gain weight, and turn to fad diets, which only make their problem worse,” Dr. Leena N. Sreedhar, head of department and consultant-obstetrics and gynecology, HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, Delhi, says.
One estimate states that 80% of Indian women are vitamin D deficient, a condition that may not manifest until one is in her twenties or early thirties but that can become very dangerous as one ages.
Hormonal health—imbalances in hormones—is another rising challenge among women. There are numerous signs of early egg aging, which Dr. Sreedhar says could be brought on due to many lifestyle factors, such as their level of stress, poor physical exercise, agents in the air, and their nutritional status. Particularly, high levels of stress have been known to slow down egg formation.
“A woman maybe 32 years old, but by the time she turns 40, her ovaries will be similar to those of a woman who is 39 years old. There have been so many incidents of women in their thirties being unable to conceive that it has started to become normal for young women to freeze their eggs since they don’t want to have children in their twenties,” Dr Sreedhar says.
Nearly 4% of Indian women between the ages of 29 and 34 show symptoms of menopause, a 2021 survey by the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, says. The percentage increases to 8% for women between the ages of 35 and 39. Over the past ten years, the percentage has gradually increased.
Menopause is a natural biological process that officially marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It is diagnosed after you have gone 12 consecutive months without menstruating and have physical and emotional symptoms, like hot flashes, night sweats, emotional breakdowns, disturbed sleep patterns, and low energy levels. Menopause usually affects women between the ages of 40 and 58, and the average age is 51.
Premature menopause, also known as primary ovarian insufficiency or early menopause, affects about 1% of women before the age of 40. About 5% of women between the ages of 40 and 45 experience early menopause.
In addition to not being able to conceive or have periods, there are many other health impacts associated with the reduction in oestrogen. Let’s talk about some symptoms of menopause.
Changes in menstrual cycles
The gap between periods can shorten or lengthen, and they frequently become heavy during perimenopause. This is because ovulation is affected by the steady decrease in oestrogen, which causes the flow and duration of periods to fluctuate.
Hot flashes
Hot flashes are a common menopause symptom that can be very uncomfortable. Hot flashes are typically characterized by a sudden sensation of heat, usually in the face, neck, and chest. They are also accompanied by flushing of the skin and perspiration, making them an intensely emotional experience.
Sleeping difficulties
Sleep issues, including frequent nighttime awakenings or difficulty falling asleep, are a major sign of menopause. Avoiding sleep results in brain fog because a lack of sleep makes it difficult to think properly. Brain fog results from sleep deprivation because it makes it difficult to think properly.
Vaginal Dryness
Many women experience vaginal itching and vaginal dryness, but nobody really talks about them. In fact, 80% of women go through these symptoms. Additionally, the tissue in the surrounding area changes, increasing the chances for women to experience more urinary tract infections or urinary incontinence during this period.
Mood Swings
Many women have discussed their experiences with mental health problems connected to perimenopause, including everything from anxiety to depression.
There is a shockingly high suicide rate among women between the ages of 45 and 54 that doctors acknowledge may be linked to the biological changes brought on by menopause, say experts.
Since little research has been done in this field, it can be challenging to tell whether mood changes are brought on by menopause itself or other factors.
Experts say women should begin doing preventive health checkups as early as their late 20s in order to correct any deficiencies, increase their chances of getting pregnant, and take measures to prevent developing health problems in their 40s like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
The majority of deficiencies can be treated with medication, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle modifications like yoga, meditation, or cardiovascular exercises. The issue lies mainly with ignorance. Unknown problems cannot be fixed when it is too late.
As your body is still young enough to reverse the effects of nutritional deficiencies, it is important to take care of this in your thirties because, after menopause, many of the effects manifest as lifestyle illnesses.
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