The surprising symptoms that may be worse for people with autism

Aging is hard for everyone — but it can be especially difficult for those who struggle with change.For many women, there’s no greater change than menopause, which signals the end of their reproductive years.The phase often brings hormonal shifts, hot flashes, night sweats and brain fog, disrupting daily routines.And for many people with autism, a strict routine helps to manage chaos and lessen anxiety.That’s why researchers from Bournemouth University in England are sounding the alarm that women with autism may suffer more severe menopausal symptoms than women without autism.“We know that menopause can be challenging for non-autistic people — the symptoms force 1 in 10 women to leave the workforce,” said study author Eunhee Kim, a PhD student.“Autistic people can already struggle with memory, planning, managing emotions and sensory sensitivities, and many try hard to fit in and mask their differences while struggling with these things, so menopause could worsen things that are already difficult for them.”Autism affects an estimated 1 in 45 US adults and is nearly as common in women as in men.The neurodevelopmental condition influences social communication, interaction and behavior.Researchers compared the menopause experiences of 476 participants with autism and 425 participants without autism to see how they differed in symptom severity, quality of life, depression and anxiety.

Women ranged in age from 40 to 60.Across the board, participants with autism reported their menopause symptoms were about six points worse than the non-autistic participants.These symptoms included hot flashes, irregular periods, weight gain, vaginal dryness, headaches, problems with concentration and bladder problems.Depression and anxiety were nearly four points higher on average among autistic participants.Quality of life had the most stark difference: autistic participants scored theirs on average 12.14 points lower.The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Auti...