To discuss memory loss in menopausal women, it is essential to first understand the endocrine system (hormonal system) of women. Hormones play a crucial role in human growth. During adolescence, sex hormones trigger secondary sexual characteristics in both males and females. One of the most significant functions of the female body is the ability to conceive, give birth, and nurture a child. This remarkable creative capability of women is orchestrated like a symphony, involving the balanced coordination of three hormones: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and Estrogen (the female hormone).

FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland, whereas estrogen is secreted by the ovaries. FSH stimulates the growth and maturation of ovarian follicles, while LH regulates the final maturation of these follicles, the secretion of estrogen (the female hormone), progesterone, and ovulation. Estrogen plays a vital role in a woman’s life, facilitating secondary sexual characteristics such as breast development, milk production, and the redistribution of body fat, which shapes the female skeletal structure. Most importantly, it enables the unique ability to conceive and bear children.

Women experience two major life events that profoundly impact their brain neurons, rapidly diminishing memory and, in some cases, leading to dementia. These events are pregnancy and childbirth, and menopause.

[Pregnancy and Childbirth] Pregnancy and childbirth are experiences unique to women. While these experiences elevate women to a sacred and mysterious status as life-bearers, they also gradually weaken the body. During childbirth, a woman’s body undergoes tremendous shocks beyond what men could ever imagine. One of the most affected organs during this process is the brain. The most significant impact on the brain during childbirth is a reduction in the oxygen supply it requires. The longer the brain experiences reduced oxygen levels, the greater the extent of neuronal damage.

After childbirth, a woman’s brain volume temporarily decreases by approximately 10% before returning to its normal size. These physiological shocks and processes explain why many women experience significant memory loss after giving birth. The physical changes and impacts faced by women during and after childbirth are unimaginable to men.

[Menopause] Menopause is a physiological change that typically occurs in women in their 40s or 50s. It marks the point at which the body’s internal biological clock signals that the ovaries, which play a crucial role in a woman’s reproductive function, are no longer needed and cease functioning. As menopause begins, the secretion of estrogen and progesterone hormones by the ovaries decreases, causing the levels of these two hormones to decline. Interestingly, even as estrogen levels drop during menopause, the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) remain unchanged. This hormonal imbalance disrupts the autonomic nervous system, resulting in various menopausal symptoms.

The autonomic nervous system regulates critical functions such as breathing, digestion, body temperature, heart rate, blood circulation, and hormone levels. Consequently, menopause is associated with symptoms such as hot flashes, chills, irregular heartbeats, headaches, anxiety, memory loss, dizziness, joint pain, lower back pain, and irregular menstrual cycles, among others.

The sudden decrease in estrogen levels during menopause presents another significant shock to a woman’s body, increasing the likelihood of developing illnesses. Research shows that women in menopause experience a sudden increase in memory loss symptoms resembling those of dementia, which is linked to the drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen has been found to protect brain neurons from beta-amyloid—a toxic protein that damages and kills brain neurons and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, brain damage sustained during childbirth accumulates over time as brain cells retain the memory of such shocks. Women who have given birth to multiple children inevitably experience greater brain damage compared to women who haven’t, and this damage is stored and remembered by the brain. Once menopause begins, the brain can no longer rely on sufficient estrogen levels to protect neural cells from memory loss and dementia symptoms. This explains the close relationship between menopause and memory decline in women.

As husbands, men must strive to understand and support their wives as they go through these changes. Women endure tremendous hardships during and after childbirth, prioritizing raising the next generation and neglecting their own physical transformations in the process. When their altered appearance suddenly confronts them, they may feel overwhelmed and distressed. Comforting and understanding them, embracing them with love, and reminding them of how much they are cherished is the least husbands can do to demonstrate genuine compassion and support.