Pre-Menapause Symptoms Defined

For every women, menopause is one of life's little inevitabilities, right up there with our periods, death, and taxes. There is nothing we can do to stop it from happening. There is nothing we can do to postpone it. The one thing we can do, however, is keep an eye out for those pesky pre-menopause symptoms. You see, no matter how inevitable it is, menopause comes as something of a surprise for many women.

We simply cannot grasp the fact that, suddenly (or so it seems), we are old enough to be going through the change of life. Pinpointing the signs of pre-menopause, which is the stage leading up to menopause itself, can be extremely helpful, because you can start to prepare yourself. When you can quickly identify them, you can take the appropriate precautions. That further helps you not to dread the big change.

You can start experiencing the signs of pre-menopause when you are still in your thirties. Still, for most women, they are in their forties when they start experiencing symptoms. As you might expect, the first really telltale signs involve your period, which starts behaving very strangely. Your cycle becomes irregular. Some months, you may actually skip your period altogether. When you do have it, it will be kind of schizophrenic – that is, irregular, unreliable, and never the same. For instance, one month, you may experiencing a very heavy flow, full of cramps, for only two or three days. The next month, you may be on your period for as much as eight or nine days, but the flow will be very light.

This happens because your body begins producing less estrogen, which is essential for menstruation. When there is not enough estrogen, it cannot trigger the production of certain other hormones, which actually cause you to menstruate and ovulate. The most important of these are FSH and LH. In the beginning, during pre-menopause, there is simply less of these important hormones in your body. As you continue going through the stages of menopause, however, the production gradually grinds to a halt, stopping altogether. This is the point at which your periods stop, and when you are truly in menopause.

Still, not all pre-menopause symptoms are directly related to your menstrual cycle. Many of them address other physical aspects, and quite a few of them are emotionally. Physically, you have night sweats and hot flashes to look forward too, both of which are very telltale. Insomnia, fatigue, sore joints, aches, pains, weight gain, and water retention are also common, physical signs. The emotional symptoms are some of the worst, though.

Sometimes, you likely feel like you are going crazy. The problem goes far beyond simple mood swings. Your moods can swing on a dime as your hormones fluctuate, and you cannot control them. That is why irritability is a common symptom. It is also why menopausal women are so prone to depression. No matter what anyone tells you, you are not being a drama queen. The emotional effects of pre-menopause are devastating, and the feelings inherent with them are completely legitimate.