Think you're entering the 'change of life'? The symptoms of menopause ...
Menopause is a normal, albeit difficult, physiological and biological event which every woman, sooner or later, must go through. The average age at which menopause occurs is 51. While the symptoms of menopause are many, the individual woman's experience varies greatly. There are also variants among cultural groups. For example, while 80% of American women experience hot flashes, a study of Mayan Indian women found that no women had hot flashes! Interestingly, although women's life expectancy has increased over the past decades, the average age of the onset of menopause remains at 51. So, what are the symptoms of menopause? Here, we focus on all of the major symptoms. As an individual, you may not experience all of them and some of the menopausal symptoms may affect you in varying degrees.
Amenorrhea is one symptom no woman escapes: amenorrhea is when your menstrual cycle stops completely. The clinical definition is when you haven't had a menstrual cycle for more than a year. During the typical 4-year period leading up to cessation of your monthly cycle, you may have changes in your cycle, such as missed periods, irregular cycles and spotting.
Vaginal atrophy gradually produces dryness of the vaginal tissues. You may experience bleeding following intercourse.
Atrophy of the urinary tract is another of the symptoms of menopause, resulting in a need to urinate more frequently, even during the night, sometimes accompanied by burning. Incontinence sometimes also occurs.
Changes in mood are one signature of menopause, including tension and irritability, as well as depression, usually related to sleep disturbances.
There are a set of symptoms of menopause which are referred to as 'vasomotor' symptoms. These include hot flashes, most commonly experienced as a sensation of heat and flushing in the face, neck and torso. Hot flashes may be accompanied by heart palpitations, dizziness and headaches. Among the most unpleasant of the vasomotor symptoms are night sweats, often resulting in irritability and depression due to insomnia. Cold hands and feet are another of the vasomotor symptoms.
Imbalances of various hormones also produce menopausal symptoms, such as facial hair, resulting from an overabundance of androgens, and an increase in wrinkles, from a lack of estrogen.
The development of osteoporosis is another of the symptoms of menopause, making bone fractures possible. The risk for osteoporosis increases with premature menopause.
There is a marked increase in your susceptibility to coronary heart disease after menopause. Twice as many women die from CHD than from cancer.
While this list of symptoms certainly doesn't sound like a day at the beach, remember that you may experience just a few of these symptoms. If you're approaching, or at the age of menopause, it's important that you get regular exercise, which can help prevent both osteoporosis and CHD.
Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss and evaluate your individual condition and what treatment is right for you. While your doctor may suggest hormone replacement therapy, there are also serious side effects with this approach, which should be part of your discussion. There are certain nutrients and herbs which are effective in treating the symptoms of menopause. For example, a calcium/magnesium supplement in a 2:1 ratio helps to prevent both osteoporosis and CHD. Vitamin E helps with the vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes and is protective to your heart. Black cohosh root relieves vasomotor symptoms, as well as depression.
While the symptoms of menopause may seem daunting indeed, proper treatment can minimize the degree to which you're impacted by the 'change of life'. Good luck!