Menopause Symptoms: How to Know If You Are in Menopause?

If you're not sure whether you're in menopause, there're certain menopause symptoms you can look out for.

Menopause is a period that marks the end of a woman's menstruation cycle. It's diagnosed when you have not had your period for 12 straight months without being sick or pregnant. It's a normal part of aging that usually happens to women in their 40s or 50s. The average age of women for menopause in the U.S.A. is 51.

Menopause is a normal biological process that happens to women as they grow old. There're several menopause symptoms, both physical and mental, which you can self-diagnose to detect menopause.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the symptoms you can keep an eye on to understand if you're going through menopause.

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Menopause Symptoms

Menopause symptoms can affect your life adversely, with physical pain disrupting your social life, while emotional symptoms can take a toll on your mental health. There're different types of treatments for the various symptoms, ranging from hormone therapy to lifestyle adjustments.

Menstruation symptoms vary from woman to woman with a high probability of irregular periods as they are about to end. It can range from experiencing periods every alternate month or your periods skipping several months and getting started again.

Here're several physical and emotional menstruation symptoms women can experience for months or years that can lead to menopause:

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness
• Night sweats
• Urinary urgency
• Irregular periods
• Weight gain
• Breast tenderness
• Dry skin
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability and worsening PMS
• Thin hair
• Swift mood changes
• Slowed metabolism

Menopause symptoms can result from different causes such as natural decline in reproductive hormones, removal of ovaries with surgery, radiation therapy, primary ovarian insufficiency, and chemotherapy.

Hormonal changes result in these symptoms, with some experiencing intense symptoms while others experience mild ones. You can try some yoga poses to relive intense menopause symptoms.

Menopause is a gradual process that goes through three distinct phases before resulting in menopause. The three stages are:

Menopause Transition – This usually happens about ten years before menopause, mostly for women in their 40s. In this period, the body starts producing less estrogen and in the last couple of years, it accelerates.

Menopause – This is the period when you no longer have periods as your ovaries have stopped producing estrogen and releasing eggs. If you have gone without a menstruation cycle for up to six months, you have menopause.

Postmenopause – This is the period after menopause during which menopause symptoms, such as night flashes, might get better. However, decreased estrogen levels can lead to fewer health conditions.

Menopause increases the risk of several medical conditions such as osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. You should regularly visit and consult a healthcare professional during and after your menopause.

You should also religiously follow health screening tests, including thyroid testing, mammography, and colonoscopy, based on suggestions from your doctor. That will help in taking all the preventive measures that are required.

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Bottom Line

The aforementioned menopause symptoms can help women in diagnosing whether they're going through menopause or not.

These symptoms include both emotional and physical ones that can disrupt women’s life and lead to increased pain. They can also lead to an increase in the probability of several diseases, such as cardiovascular risk, osteoporosis, and more. You can also follow a menopause diet to relieve intense symptoms.