Menopause symptoms

Menopause begins officially after one year of no menstruation. The symptoms may occur after menopause begins. The majority and the more severe symptoms of menopause occur during the transition phase. This can last for months or years during perimenopause. It can occur as early as the late 30’s, but is more common around 50 years old.

The most common symptoms include:

· Hot flashes

· Night sweats

· Periods become irregular

· Libido decreases

· Dryness of vagina

· Insomnia

Other symptoms can cause changes like the following:

· Fatigue

· Hair loss

· Sleep problems

· Memory lapses

· Dizziness

· Weight gain

· Bloating

· Changes in odor

· Brittle nails

· Mental confusion

The emotional symptoms of menopause can include anxiety, mood swings, depression, panic disorders, and irritability. An irregular heartbeat can be a symptom of menopause and be alarming to the woman. A medical professional should be consulted to be certain that the irregular heartbeat is from the hormonal changes of menopause.

There can be various pain related symptoms with the changes in the body that occur during menopause. These symptoms can include the following:

· Achy and sore joints

· Breast tenderness

· Tendon soreness

· Muscle aches

· Headache changes

· Electrical shock sensation under skin (may be precursor to hot flash)

· Tingling in extremities

· Burning tongue and/or mouth

· Digestive problems

· Itchy skin

· Problems with gums

Of course not every ailment and symptom that occurs during aging can be attributed to menopause. A medical professional should be consulted because other medical conditions can have symptoms that may overlap or are the same as menopausal symptoms. Sore joints may be the beginning of arthritis and an irregular heartbeat may be a symptom of a potential heart problem. Communication with a health care professional will help to sort out menopausal symptoms.

Menopause is a natural process of the body changing to a new stage in life. It can have many symptoms or few if any symptoms. Most of the time the troublesome symptoms can be managed with healthy habits, daily living changes, and supplements. Over time the symptoms will diminish. For those whose symptoms are severe and choose hormonal replacement should periodically see if their symptoms have diminished and that the hormonal replacement therapy can be stopped.