When approaching menopause the changing levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone can result in a wide range of symptoms and conditions. Some women will experience serious symptoms, while others will go through this transitional period easily, experiencing only very mild symptoms and in some instances absolutely no symptoms at all. Perimenopause symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of menopause so the following symptoms apply to perimenopause as well. Let’s examine the most common signs of menopause.

A change in period bleeding and menstrual cycle is quite common.
Periods may become irregular with more or less bleeding. Some women may have very heavy bleeding for a few days and then very light bleeding for a couple more days, sometimes periods are less than 22 days apart and you may have spotting between periods.

Hot flashes are one of the very frequent signs of menopause; the vast majority of menopausal women experience them. Hot flashes demonstrate with sudden heat strokes in the upper part of the body and redness in the face and neck. Night sweating is also associated with these flashes and it can be mild or quite severe, they usually disappear a few years after menopause.

Vaginal dryness is quite commonly observed as one of the signs of menopause. The tissues of the genitalia become thin and less elastic and some women have problems with regular sexual intercourse due to pain and discomfort and they become more prone to vaginal infections. The signs of menopause include changes in sex drive with some women experiencing a sudden loss of libido or trouble getting aroused. In some cases though, women feel freer since pregnancy is no longer an issue and they become more sexually active. However, women are still advised to use condoms because menopause doesn’t offer any immunity to sexually transmitted diseases.

Many women experience urinary problems, infections, incontinence and a more frequent need to use the bathroom. In some cases, it causes small leaks of urine when sneezing, coughing, or during any sudden move.

Women may also begin to experience mood swings which can vary in intensity. For some women, the symptoms can include anxiety and clinical depression which may require prescription medication in order to overcome it. Fortunately, for most women, the symptoms aren’t that serious and are very similar in nature to the mood swings during menstruation. Exhaustion is quite common and because of night sweats and interrupted sleep, it becomes increasing difficult to feel truly rested. And, of course, less sleep leads to more stress and more mood swings so it becomes a bit a vicious cycle.

The signs of menopause also include weight gain, most often around the mid section. Lean muscle mass decreases and it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain or gain lean muscle. The skin becomes less flexible and loses its elasticity.

Heart problems might also appear, although they’re usually not serious and they’re usually short term; palpitations and tachycardia are among them and they are quite regular and common in women between the ages of 45 and 55. In some cases though these signs could mimic symptoms of other diseases and conditions, therefore it’s important to consult with a doctor to avoid complications and other potential health problems.

The signs of menopause are many and varied and each woman’s experience will be different. In the case of anxiety and depression, it’s important to see a doctor and explore possible medications in order to control the symptoms. Unfortunately for the rest of the annoying symptoms there is not a lot that can be done. The best thing you can do is to try to get plenty of sleep, reduce your stress level, invest in some vaginal lubricant, do weight bearing exercises and just generally try to be good to yourself while you ride out this challenging time. If you think you’re having unusual or severe problems with menopause then it’s always in your best interest to make an appointment with your doctor. If possible, keep a sense humor about the whole thing and try to keep in mind that this a natural phase of life that women have been enduring since the dawn of time.

1. Hot flashes/Night Sweats
2. Vaginal Dryness
3. Weight Gain
4. Moodiness/Irritability

5. Loss of Sex Drive
6. Incontinence
7. Muscle Soreness
8. Irregular periods
9. Exhaustion
10. Random Hair Growth (like on the chin)

 
6 Less Common Additional Symptoms

1. Ringing in Ears (called Tinnitus)
2. Depression/Anxiety
3. Memory Problems
4. Bowel Problems
5. Osteoporosis
6. Sleep Problems

Well, a healthy lifestyle is the most obvious choice. Eat more natural foods with high fiber. Choose fruits and vegetables with lots of variety in color to get all your different vitamins and mineral. Take a multivitamin and calcium to supplement your diet if needed.

Quit smoking. Enough said.

Reduce caffeine intake. Caffeine has been linked to hot flashes and makes getting to sleep more difficult.

Limit alcohol use.

Do regular weight bearing exercises such as weight lifting, walking, aerobics, and dancing. Weight bearing exercise just means that you’re on your feet and your bones are supporting your weight, so activities like biking and swimming aren’t included. Make sure to choose an activity you like and mix it up a bit so you don’t get bored. A work out partner not only gives you motivation but will increase you odds of staying with a work out program. 

Try Soy Foods. Soy is high in phytoestrogens which is a plant chemical that acts like estrogen which is produced naturally in the body.  “These plant estrogens are thousands of times weaker than natural estrogen,” says nutritionist Mindy Kurzer of the University of Minnesota. “But they also circulate in the blood at levels thousands of times higher than natural estrogen.” That’s why researchers want to know if plant estrogens work like natural estrogen. Limited studies have produced limited evidence that soy is a good remedy but soy would have virtually no side effects and it’s generally good for you overall. 

Herbs that might help include black cohosh, dong quai, St. John’s Wort, ginseng, and evening primrose oil, red clover and chasteberry. These herbal remedies have little clinical proof that they help with the signs of menopause, but many women still use them.

As with all medical treatments, you should discuss your options with a doctor. If you choose to take a homeopathic route, make sure to discuss your plans with your doctor as herbal medicines can interact with prescription medications and be harmful if taken at inappropriate levels.

Menopause is a natural part of the aging process; it marks the end of fertility in a woman’s life. Menopause may occur naturally anytime between the ages of 40 to 65, but here in the US the average age of menopause is 52 years old. There are some occasions when menopause may occur before the age of 40 years old, if this occurs, it is considered a premature or early menopause and is outside medical norms. Medical conditions, genetic disorders, surgery or medical treatments are all things that may lead to or cause early menopause.

The term menopause is sometimes used to refer to the entire process leading up to the end of fertility, but this is actually incorrect. Menopause is the exact date a woman is no longer fertile, it is the date a woman has her final day of menstruation. Obviously because a lot of women don’t keep exact records of their bleeding, this date is not always 100% known. To stray on the side of caution, waiting until one full year has passed without bleeding is usually recommended to fully confirm menopause. This is important because during this phase, bleeding becomes irregular and it’s not uncommon to skip periods, so until one full year without bleeding has passed, it’s best to assume that pregnancy is still possible.

Perimenopause is the phase leading up menopause, it may last anywhere from a few months to ten years. The symptoms associated with perimenopause are the same as menopause signs. Perimenopause ends when menopause is reached and then after menopause a woman is said to be postmenopausal. Once menopause is reached, menopause signs will diminish and eventually disappear altogether; this may take a few years or happen suddenly.  

• Irregular bleeding – periods will sometimes be skipped, bleeding may be lighter or heavier
• Irregular ovulation – during months when ovulation doesn’t occur, mature eggs don’t drop, this makes it hard to conceive if you’re trying to get pregnant
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Insomnia – maybe a result of night sweats
• Vaginal dryness – this may cause pain during intercourse
• Loss of sex drive
• Hair thinning
• Facial hair
• Ear ringing
• Mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Dry skin
• A skin crawling or tingling sensation in limbs (formication)
• Incontinence – this is usually urine leakage during a cough or while laughing
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Osteoporosis

When treating menopause, both the symptoms of menopause and the underlying hormone fluctuations of menopause need to be treated in order to achieve maximum relief. Unfortunately at this time, there are very limited treatment options available for the vast majority of menopause symptoms and it’s important to keep in mind that menopause itself is not a disease, it’s the most natural occurrence on earth just like puberty and pregnancy.

Prescription drugs- Bio-identical hormone therapy is one option available for menopausal woman. These drugs have similar chemical hormone balances as the female body. It is the most natural, prescription choice available on the market, due to the fact that the hormones are derived and extracted from plants. These hormones are available in cream and gel form for quick absorption, reducing side-effects significantly. The only disadvantage to the therapy is the lack of research on safety and effectiveness of the product range. Of all the therapy types, estrogen therapy also known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT, a combination of progesterone and estrogen, is probably the best known. Estrogen assists in reduction of hot flashes and cholesterol while also successfully treating uncomfortable urinary and vaginal problems related to menopause.

Estrogen disadvantages- Estrogen therapy unfortunately has some major disadvantages such as increased risk of cancer specifically breast and endometrial, heart attacks, strokes, thrombosis, clotting, discomfort during sex and gallstones. Estrogen is available in creams, gels, patches and capsules

SSRI’s – Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors also known as SSRI’s
are a class of medications used to treat depression. When depressed menopausal women were taking SSRI’s, they had fewer hot flashes. Many women, whether depressed or not, have found relief from hot flashes while using SSRI’s. Only a short dose is needed to tell whether the treatment will work or not, usually you will know in a week or two if SSRI’s will get results. Unfortunately, SSRI’s don’t work on all women for treating menopause.

Clonidine and Gabapentin – Limited testing of these drugs on menopausal women for the treatment of hot flashes has yielded positive results, but not enough clinical testing has been done. Clonidine is typically used to treat ADHD and gabapentin is used to treat epilepsy so they have been tested for the treatment of these diseases, just not for the treatment of hot flashes.

Other traditional treatments- Calcium intake can be increased to 1500 mg’s per day, this will help combat osteoporosis. Anti- depressants as well as anti-anxiety medication are also prescribed to reduce panic, depression and anxiety attacks often associated with menopause. Vitamin and mineral supplements are highly recommended as nutritional deficiencies are also common during menopause.

Of the treatments listed above, only estrogen has been tested extensively for the treatment of menopause. SSRI’s, clonidine, and gabapentin have been found to give results for hot flashes but more testing needs to be done. Sometimes a doctor may be willing to try these options if you aren’t getting relief from other medical treatments.