Women Health Tips

How Do I Know If I Am Going Through Menopause

Menopause refers to the period in a woman’s life where her reproductive capability (that is, her ability to have children) ends and is marked by physical and hormonal changes in her body which can give rise to significant side-effects. When they notice some of the symptoms of this change in their bodies. This article describes the signs of menopause that most women will face during this period of their lives.

A woman typically undergoes menopause during middle age, when they are in their late 40s or early 50s. However menopause can occur as early as the 30s in a woman’s life as well as late into their 60s. The age at which a woman enters menopause varies between individuals as do the severity of the associated side effects.

A woman’s transition to a non-reproductive state is accompanied by a reduction in the production of hormones in a woman’s ovaries, in particular the hormone estrogen, and this occurs over a number of years as a natural consequence of aging. The accompanying side-effects of this reduction can significantly disrupt a woman’s well-being. These side-effects during the menopause transition vary between women.

Typically, the first symptom of menopause for most women is a change in their menstrual cycle. As a part of menopause women’s menstrual cycle ceases, so significant changes to a woman’s menstrual cycle can be an indicator of the onset of menopause. These changes can include changes in the duration of a period and their severity. As a rule of thumb, menopause is said to have occurred when a woman has 12 consecutive months without a period. If you experience the signs of menopause at an earlier age you should have your physician to perform a blood test to check your hormone levels.

Low estrogen levels can result in uncomfortable symptoms in many women such as vaginal atrophy and dryness. Changing estrogen levels can also lead to hot flashes and erratic mood changes including an overall feeling of anxiety and depression.

Many women undergoing this change in their lives report experiencing hot flashes which are a direct result of changing hormone levels and some sufferers seek hormone replacement therapy to alleviate this. While the reason for hot flashes is not well understood, it is believed to be caused by the changes in estrogen levels which can impact the brain’s regulation of body temperature. Hot flashes (a sudden rush of heat moving from your chest to your head) are a sign of menopause when there is no other factor (such as eating hot food or drinking coffee) that can account for them.

Fatigue is also a common side-effect for women who experience hot flashes during the night. These can interrupt their sleep and sometimes result in insomnia. Many women say they feel listless and exhausted as a result of this change to their bodies reproductive capacity.

In some cases, women report rapid changes in mood that makes them feel like they are on an emotional roller-coaster with some women describing the feeling as being in a constant state of premenstrual tension. While anxiety and tension can be the result of going through this change in a woman’s life and the accompanying hormone imbalances, it is important for a sufferer to consider external factors.

Physical symptoms can include water retention, higher incidences of urinary tract infection and soreness or tenderness of breasts. Other physical effects can be more long lasting including osteoporosis (decreasing bone density) and an increase in the risk of stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular disorders. It’s important to remember that this can also exacerbate other, existing medical conditions.

Most women will experience vaginal dryness during menopause; this results from the vaginal lining becoming thinner and less flexible and can cause discomfort during sex. Incontinence can also occur as organs that are located around the vagina shrink during this period – particularly the bladder and urethra.

Other indicators can be allergies and sinus problems, palpitations and missing heartbeats, an unexplained itchiness all over your body, internal shaking and tremors, overall anxiety including panic attacks, respiratory problems including wheezing and coughing and bloating as well as an unexplained increase in body weight.

If you think that you are experiencing this change in your life then you should talk to your doctor and ask for advice about how to deal with the symptoms that surround this natural aspect of the aging process.

 

Going Through Early Menopause

Menopause is referred to or talked about as going through the change of life. What many do not realize until it actually hits them is the fact that menopause is a true medical condition.

The menstrual cycle or period begins to diminish or ends unexpectedly. This not only means a woman can no longer give birth to children, there are other side effects that can be uncomfortable and life changing.

If you are anywhere between the age of forty five and fifty five, somewhere in this range is where symptoms begin for most women. One of the commons signs is overheating. If you are sweating, having hot flashes, or breakout into cold sweats, this can be a result of menopause.

The symptoms could have a mild or significant effect on an individual. The effects experienced could be dependent on a family history perhaps, medical conditions, or the make-up of the body and female organs. Unusual abdominal, uterine, or back pains may occur. The best way recognize early menopause is to check with a physician who can provide education and care.

 

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