Why menopause makes you clumsy & bruise more

Today's topic

Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I'm going to be addressing why the menopause could make you clumsier and how it can also make you bruise more easily.

Now, what do I mean by clumsy? Well, being clumsy is usually associated with dropping things, knocking things over, bumping into things, tripping up and just becoming more accident-prone, generally. The more serious ones would be things like falling over. I know a number of ladies who've told me that for the first time in their lives, they've ended up having slight bangs with their car because they've misjudged distances.

Why does menopause make you clumsy?

So, why on earth does this happen? Well, it’s all related to falling levels of oestrogen and progesterone. This combination can cause a loss of coordination in addition to poor concentration, dizziness and light-headedness. It’s also important to remember too, that falling oestrogen can affect your eyesight, so this might be another issue worth considering.

How to stop being so clumsy

Balance your hormones

So, what can you do about this one? Since it's more to do with balancing the hormones, you could look at our Menopause Support if it's appropriate. This can help to very gently raise and balance your oestrogen levels.

Get your eyes tested

If you feel that you're getting a little bit squinty or if you're not seeing things as well as normal, definitely get your eyes tested.

Exercise regularly

You could look at exercise as well. This is really important because part of the problem with the menopause is that our muscles and bones can get weaker. This can be a factor in finding that we can't control our bodies just as much as what we would like to.

This is a really important one, you need to practice balance. The sooner you start this, the better because, for a lot of women, part of the problem of tripping up and even falling over, is to do with the fact that your balance deteriorates. It's a known fact that in a lot of older women who end up getting hip fractures, the initial fall was caused because they lost their balance.

You can do things like yoga, which is absolutely fabulous. The other thing you can do is purchase a balancing board. I’ve got one and, although I’m still not very good at it, it’s something you only need to practice for five minutes on a daily basis. It can make a huge amount of difference.

Stay hydrated

The other thing, too, is that if you're getting dizziness then there can be a number of factors at play, such as dehydration. Remember the water. That's a really important one because that will help with concentration as well as dizziness.

Remember it’s not your fault

Don't beat yourself up about your sudden bout of clumsiness. I was talking to a lady not long ago who was just having a terrible time. She was knocking cups of coffee and tea all over the place and just having a really tough time with being extra clumsy. She was also really giving herself a hard time. That just makes you more stressed and unhappy though, which can make the condition worse.

Will I stop being so clumsy after menopause?

Just remember that this is one of these phases so it's not likely to last long. This is something that most women will certainly walk away from as they go further through the menopause as well.

What causes you to bruise more during menopause?

Now, what about what causes bruising?

Clumsiness

It can just be the fact that you're extra clumsy and banging into things so if you focus on addressing this issue, then it can certainly make a difference.

Thinning skin

During menopause, falling levels of oestrogen can result in thinner skin which means that there’s less padding from the outside of your skin to the blood vessels. This means that even a light knock can end up making you bruised.

Nutritional deficiency

We've also got nutritional deficiency. Remember at this time, your nutritional needs go sky-high. Nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin K are all needed to help with good skin tone. You can look at diet, generally, because, if you're not eating particularly well, then you're going to be nutritionally deficient.

What can stop you bruising so easily during menopause?

Strengthen your skin

Supplements can be quite useful here – hyaluronic acid in particular is very good for helping to strengthen and stabilise the skin, so it’s a nice one to take. You can get this in capsules as well as creams; some women also find it really helpful for issues like vaginal dryness too.

Arnica

You can look at our Arnica Gel. This is specifically for bruising but can be used for joint and muscle inflammation too.

Water

Remember water too, because that's an important one as always.

Unexplained bruising

The other thing you need to look at is if you are getting unexplained bruising which means that you either can't remember knocking into anything or you just suddenly seem to wake up with lots of different bruises, it's really important to get this one checked out by your doctor.

There can be a number of reasons, but it's always important just to double-check with this before you self-medicate.

So this is a short one today, but hopefully, you've found it quite interesting. If any of you have had any experiences that you wish to share that would be absolutely great. And if any of you have any tips on how you managed to focus and concentrate when you were getting a little bit clumsy then please do let us know.