What Are the Most Common Menopause Symptoms?
Menopause is a major transition period in a woman's life, when her menstrual cycle ceases. It is the point in a woman's life when the ovaries stop producing eggs, and when this happens, the menstrual activity decreases and eventually stops altogether. Menopause affects individual women differently. For some women it is over in under a year whereas for others it may take up to three full years for the menstrual cycle to completely stop.
Menopause Symptoms
It is the menopause symptoms more than anything that usually makes a woman aware that she is starting to go through menopause. There are literally hundreds of different menopause symptoms that a woman may experience.
This includes irritability, irregular heartbeat, irregular periods, mood swings, hot flashes, feelings of dread, loss of libido, aching, sore joints, gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, depression, sudden bouts of bloat, difficulty concentrating, disturbing memory lapses, incontinence, dizziness, tingling in the extremities, and changes in body odor.
Finding Relief
Although some women just suck it up and try to deal with their menopause symptoms on their own, it is best to talk to your doctor and to try and find relief of your menopause symptoms as best you can.
It is important to realize that each different symptom must be dealt with differently. Hot flashes, which are usually one of the first and most frustrating symptoms of menopause, can be extremely troubling and are the body's way of cooling itself.
Depending on your hot flashes and how much they are affecting your day to day living, you can take several steps to help alleviate hot flashes. The best idea is to begin by attempting to identify the triggers of your hot flashes, and this could be anything from hot beverages and spicy foods to warm air temperatures and stressful situations.
Vaginal changes are also important to deal with, and often a simple vaginal lubricant such as Astroglide can help with dryness problems. Estrogen treatments are also available, and these are applied directly to the vagina in the forms of creams or tablets.
Even with help these symptoms can often be incredibly difficult for a woman to deal with, but it is important for all women going through menopause to understand that it is only a phase and that they will not have to deal with these feelings for the rest of their lives. With the assistance of a doctor you will be able to find relief of your menopause symptoms and get back to feeling like your regular self in no time.
