Health and Fitness Help

Like all big changes in life, menopause can be very difficult for some women. Since early menopause symptoms can start as soon as in the woman’s thirties (or about ten years before the full-fledged menopause) it is good to know what these changes or symptoms mean. So if you are feeling unlike your normal self, see if these symptoms sounds familiar. You may not be ‘moody’ for no reason. Mood swings are a big symptom. Women can find themselves very irrationally sad or easy to upset.

The biggest tell-tale sign–though it may not show until actual menopause–is the loss of a period. Some women may think stress is accountable for missed periods, more frequent periods, constant periods, or periods that are in any way different from what they normally experience. Menopause may cause this.

Once you have gone a full year without any periods, you have passed through most of menopause. But if you are having issues with your cycle, do not just blame it on this change, it could be a sign of other medical conditions so it’s always a good idea to schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Hot flashes are the other big sign. They are extremely uncomfortable and unlike any other bout of hotness a woman has felt before. Out of nowhere, you will feel like the air is twenty degrees warmer. Many women sweat profusely and strip down their clothes to try to cool themselves. Very little can actually cool them, except perhaps medication. Then, as suddenly as it came, they will return to a normal temperature and be left quite cold.

There are other signs, too, though these are more subtle. In addition to general moodiness, some women can experience all-month-long PMS, depression, sleeping difficulties, or a difference in libido. It is just as large a change as adolescence, but perhaps even more uncomfortable. It is very important that you are aware of these symptoms and see a doctor, just to be sure. Signs of Menopause Guide has more articles and information about perimenopause and menopause symptoms.