Menopause Signs and Symptoms

There are several menopause signs that will let you know that you will soon be going through the process. A number of them, however, are quite innocuous. They are not something you would really take notice of – unless you knew to look out for them. Still, you need to be aware of what to expect. Knowing the signs and symptoms, whether they are big and small, beforehand, can be extremely helpful. When we keep ourselves informed of what our bodies are going to be going through and how it will affect our lives, we can prepare ourselves. It might sound silly to think you can prepare yourself for one of life's little inevitabilities. However there are certain things you can start doing even now that will benefit you greatly when the time comes.

To begin with, you need to understand exactly what menopause is. Not a lot of people do. It is a huge change and it is extremely emotional for most women. For all of that, however, the process is really very simple. To put it simply, your body stops making estrogen. The levels in your body fluctuate, first decreasing at a steady rate and then ceasing altogether. As estrogen stops, so do other essential hormones. Some of them are the hormones that regulate your menstruation cycles. Therefore, when these are no longer produced, you do not have a period anymore. You do not ovulate any longer either. Your body stops making eggs. This makes you infertile. You can no longer have children.

There is no way to tell when exactly you will go through menopause. Many women begin when their close female relatives did. If your mother started menopause in her mid forties, like most other women, you likely will as well. If both of your grandmothers began going through it in their late thirties, then there is a very good change you will begin the process then too.

As you might imagine, one clear sign of menopause is the irregularity of your periods. You may get them earlier or they may come later. The strength or weakness of your flow may change and fluctuate. You may have them for eight days or only three. Some months, you may skip your period altogether.

Naturally hot flashes and night sweats are a huge sign. These are directly related to your hormones. Sleeping in a cool, comfortable room, wearing light, comfortable clothing, and keeping yourself stress free are just some of the ways you can discourage these symptoms from happening.

Mood swings are pretty much a given. Depression is a strong possibility. You may start to notice vaginal dryness and weight gain as well. It is not uncommon to notice a change in the actual shape of your body.

Generally, these symptoms actually start during pre menopause, also referred to as perimenopause. This is the span of time leading up to actual menopause. You see, menopause itself does not actually occur until you have not menstruated for twelve full months. That means that if you only had one, three day long period in a year, you are not yet menopausal.