Entering the options menu and/or changing things "reloads" the game

Not sure what to call it. The game freezes, then the cogs show up, then the game is back. Literally just opening the menu can have it happen. Most times it happens when I adjust something, but even changing things that don't change anything without saving will do this and I have to redo the setting, which then doesn't do it again. It's weird. It doesn't affect my gameplay directly, its just annoying when I want to change a single setting.