Symptoms of Menopause

Hot flashes and vaginal dryness are just the start of the symptoms you may experience as you enter menopause! What else can you expect?

Is it hot in here or is it just me, 75% of women experience hot flashes during menopause but the symptoms do not stop there. As a woman grows older, her ovaries gradually produce less of the hormone estrogen. This time called perimenopause continues until menstruation ceases all together. When a woman does not menstruate for twelve consecutive months, she has officially entered menopause. Estrogen depletion is a gradual process, which means that perimenopause can last anywhere from mere months to several years. Perimenopause usually begins with a gradual decline in fertility. Women trying to conceive after the age of 35 may notice this symptom in particular. Fluctuating hormones can also cause a woman’s periods to become irregular. She may have no period one-month or a particularly heavy one on the next. Once periods stopped completely and menopause begins. Many women experience more symptoms. The most common among these are hot flashes also known as basal motor symptoms. A hot flush is a sensation of heat or feverishness, mostly in the face, the neck and the upper chest which is often accompanied by reddened skin. Hot flashes may last from several seconds to a few minutes. Although no one is exactly sure why hot flashes accompany menopause, it is speculated that the dwindling of estrogen causes the brains temperature control system located in the hypothalamus to reset itself to a higher temperature. Because decreased estrogen also causes the vaginal lining to send secretion can diminish. This often leads to another common menopausal symptom, vaginal dryness and irritation. These symptoms in addition to decrease in testosterone levels which are vital to libido, contribute to the lowered sexual interest experienced by so many menopausal women. Insomnia is another common complaint during this time. Some experts attribute this to nighttime hot flashes while other suggests that changes in sleep patterns are just a common sign of aging. During both perimenopause and menopause, many women suffer from mood swings, anxiety and bouts of depression. Current wisdom however, suggests that an upbeat view of menopause as a time of new possibilities not only eases symptoms but enhances this transition as a positive life experience. If you are experiencing problematic symptoms of menopause, please make an appointment to speak with your doctor about treatments, which he can help. Want to learn more, check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.