Menopause Symptoms – How to Tell When Menopause Is Approaching
Menopause. Some have called it the curse of womanhood. Some would
disagree that it is a curse at all. What it is, is a change of the
body’s chemistry and the change from one part of the life circle to the
next. Menopause marks the end of the monthly menstrual cycle and signals
the end of a woman’s ability to conceive children.
For some women, this can cause depression – as they may view this as “no
longer being a woman”. However, that is not always the case. Many women
do not see this as an end to fertility or a lessening of their
womanhood. Instead, they celebrate it as the freedom from a monthly
menstrual cycle and all the inconveniences that go with it. These women
also see this time in their lives for exactly what it is, a natural,
biological change in the chemistry of their bodies.
When a girl reaches puberty, her body undergoes a hormonal change.
Menopause is simply another of those hormonal changes. Unfortunately,
frequently it has some rather uncomfortable symptoms that go along with
the process.
Normally the first change a woman notices is in her monthly flow. It may
come more or less frequently, or be irregular. In the beginning, it is
barely noticeable. Then usually come what is referred to as “the hot
flashes and night sweats”. Those are definitely more noticeable. When
hot flashes occur, it may drive the other people in her life crazy! One
minute you are comfortable with the temperature in the room, the next
minute you are sticking her head in the icebox in an attempt to cool
down. Or, you may find the thermostat in your home seems to be
constantly fluctuating. No, the thermostat is not broken.
During the night, those hot flashes may turn to night sweats. This is
extremely irritating, however completely normal. For some the night
sweats cause insomnia, after all, how many times can you be awakened
during the night until you simply cannot go back to sleep?
It is not uncommon for this to cause fatigue, which can also trigger
mood swings, irritability and even trouble concentrating. Other symptoms
can also rear their ugly heads such as changes in your weight, hair, and
even your sex drive. In some of the more serious cases that have been
studied, some women have major depression, headaches, heart palpitations
and changes in the urinary systems.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should discuss them with
your physician, as there are multiple therapies that can be tried to
bring your hormone level back to more normal levels. Once your hormone
levels are back on track, you will feel more like your normal self. |
