Menopausal symptoms affect about 70% of women approaching menopause. Typical menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes or night sweats, are caused by changing hormonal levels in the female reproductive system. Almost all women notice early symptoms while still having periods. This stage of gradually falling and fluctuating hormone levels is called perimenopause.
The symptoms of menopause usually last for the whole menopause transition (until the mid 50s), but some women may experience them for the rest of their lives.
Hot flashes: About 75 to 85% of American women are estimated to get hot flashes when they're in menopause. Hot flashes, which can be felt like a sudden, transient sensation of warmth or heat that spreads over the body creating a flushing (redness) particularly noticeable on the face and upper body. Whether your own hot flashes are experienced as delicate flushes or the engulfing flames, rest assured they're normal. Hot flashes are the body's reaction to a decreased supply of the hormone estrogen, which occurs naturally as women approach menopause. Not all women experience hot flashes, but more than half do. In some, estrogen production decreases gradually, producing few hot flashes. But for others, the ovaries stop estrogen production abruptly (same case as surgical menopause). For these women, hot flashes can be a real roller-coaster ride
Urogenital atrophy: It's basically a loss of the usual moist and soft feel of the lining of vaginal area which may be associated with itching and irritation. When your estrogen levels drop, your vaginal tissues start drying and become less elastic. Sex becomes uncomfortable, you may be more prone to infections, your vagina is frequently itchy and easily irritated, and, on the emotional side, you may feel older. As we said, vaginal dryness and vaginal atrophy occur when your estrogen levels drop. Your vagina is usually very elastic, able to easily stretch for sex and childbirth. But as estrogen levels go down, your vaginal walls get thinner and lose some of their elasticity. Your vagina becomes dryer and takes longer to become lubricated. Finally, it may atrophy. This symptom may appear due to a sudden drop in estrogen (such as you do with surgical menopause), also, it can be experienced when going through a natural premature menopause. Either way, though, it's a very unpleasant menopause symptom; it can be very emotionally upsetting when you're in your 20s or 30s.
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disorder where there is thinning and weakening of the bone, and a general decrease in the bone mass and density. This means that they are much more susceptible to breaks and fractures. Menopause does affect your bones. Normally your bones will go through a process where old bone is replaced by new bone cells. When you are young your body makes more new bone than it takes away in old bone. Your body's ability to handle this process changes with age, so that by the time you are about 35 there is less bone building than there is bone removal. During the menopause your estrogen levels drop. Estrogen is involved in the process of calcium absorption into the bones. All women will experience acceleration in bone density reduction as their estrogen levels drop.
Menstrual irregularities: Most women experience absent, short, irregular periods at some point in their lives. A wide range of conditions can cause these symptoms, while the most common cause is hormone imbalance. Your periods may come more frequently, every 24 days instead of every 28, or they may come later than they used to. You may have a light period that lasts only a few days, then the next month have very heavy bleeding. Your period may last a shorter amount of time, or go on and on for what feels like an eternity. You may skip a month, then go back to normal for several months, then skip two periods in a row. Menstrual irregularity is most common in the midforties as you approach menopause. A lack of hormonal balance or a decrease in estrogen production is the main cause of it. There can be medical causes for irregular periods as well, they aren't as common though
Loss of libido: Sex therapists say tha low libido becomes a problem that should be addressed only when it is perceived as a problem. It's usually only in the framework of a relationship that it becomes an issue. It's when there is a discrepancy in desire between the person and partner, or when people feel there's something wrong with them because they have a low level of desire. Everyone experiences peaks and valleys in sexual desire, an ebb and flow in libido that could be caused by any of a variety of factors. Occasionally, a hormonal imbalance or prescription drug will sap sex drive. And, of course, there's a difference between sexual drive and sexual function.
Mood swings: A person with a mood problem is like a human roller coaster. One minute he's up, the next minute he's down. He never seems to be able to get off the ride. His mood swings are intense, sudden and out of control. Chronic and severe mood swings are a psychological disorder, a health problem every bit as real as a physical ailment. In fact, sometimes they're the result of a physical problem, like a premenstrual syndrome. And just like a physical problem, they can be treated. You should contact your doctor to get more advice
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