Menopause 101 - All You Wanted To Know About Menopause

If you are a woman approaching your 40s, this is a good time to look up menopause 101 information because this is the next phase you would be entering into. There are many sources of information where you could find answers to all your questions and the more intelligence you gather on this subject, the better equipped you would be when you reach that stage.

Menopause 101 - A Brief Preview

You might not be able to learn everything about it as menopause like puberty develops differently in every woman. However, when you seek menopause 101 information you would be able to understand what is coming and this would prepare you mentally for the symptoms that would accompany it some of which are quite uncomfortable.

Most women know about hot flushes and irregular periods as these are very common with menopause. There are other symptoms such as dry vagina, change in sexual urge, muscle stiffness, thickening of the waist and memory problems that are not often discussed in detail. When you are compiling your menopause 101 information ensure you look up these symptoms as well.

The dry vagina is usually due to sudden decrease in hormones which in turn makes sexual intercourse painful and unpleasant. The dryness that is caused due to the inability of mucous membranes to secrete sufficiently which often acts as an open invitation to infection. You would therefore be open to urinary tract as well as vaginal infections.

The decrease in sexual urge is also attributed to the reduction of hormones in the blood due to menopause. Nonetheless, you should carry on using contraceptives until you have completed twelve consecutive months without a period. Beware that some women experience decrease in sexual urge while others might feel on the top of the world about sex. In both cases medication can bring you back to normal.

According to menopause 101, sudden mood changes are also very common during this phase. You might find yourself on the delighted at one moment and at the next feel depressed beyond words. You could also feel acute irritation at trivial matters and tend to withdraw into yourself shunning the company of your spouse, friends and relatives. These are early signs of depression that is very often develops in menopausal women. Anti-depressants and herbal medication can be combined with mild sedatives to give excellent results.

The most surprising of all the symptoms would be the sudden thickening of the waist. You would remember how at puberty the hips expanded and waist narrowed to give you the body of an adult woman from that of a girl. At menopause the body changes yet once again, this time with a slight thickening at the waist. This is yet another very interesting point to learn about in your quest for menopause 101 information.