Menopause Symptoms
Dr. Srisawai Pattamakom is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and takes the time to help you sort through all the stages of your life including menopause. There are several natural remedies that some women use for combating specific symptoms menopause brings and Dr. Pattamakom can work with you through this period with alternatives and in office procedures that may provide remedy.
Do you suffer from Vaginal Discomfort?
Vaginal discomforts as dryness, burning, urinary incontinence can occur also during pre-menopause or after child birth. The main cause is often atrophic vaginitis: a disease that can adversely affects your life and the relationship with your partner. Now Ideal Womens Healthcare offers in office treatments to remedy you in as little as 5 minutes for treatment. Learn More Here
About Menopause and common symptoms
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman’s ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year.
What happens during menopause?
The traditional changes we think of as “menopause” happen when the ovaries no longer produce high levels of hormones. The ovaries are the reproductive glands that store eggs and release them into the fallopian tubes. They also produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as testosterone.
What Are The 34 Symptoms of Menopause?
1 – IRREGULAR PERIODS – Irregular periods are among the earlier symptoms of perimenopause in most women. As your egg production decreases, your hormone levels drop too. At times, you may get signs of premenstrual syndrome such as irritability, bloating, and breast tenderness but fail to get your periods.
2 – HOT FLUSHES: Hot flushes are also early symptoms that you are approaching menopause. A red neck and face characterise the flashes in up to 72% of women. When you have hot flushes, your body suddenly overheats, and you experience sweating and night sweats because the hormones responsible for controlling your body’s temperature are low. Spicy foods and hot drinks usually trigger symptoms of hot flushes.
3 – VAGINAL DRYNESS: During perimenopause and after menopause, the natural lubrication of your vagina is inadequate. Oestrogen is responsible for vaginal lubrication. When you are in the menopause years, your eggs fail to produce enough oestrogen to lubricate the vagina, and as a result, you experience vaginal dryness. The dryness can make sex uncomfortable and sometimes painful.
4 – NIGHT SWEATS – Night sweats are associated with difficulties in sleeping for most menopausal women. Night sweats are a result of hot flushes you experience at night.
5 – MOOD SWINGS: Studies have shown that about 27% of women experience mood swings. Many women experience anxiety as well. The mood swings are similar to mood changes you may experience during your periods but tend to be extreme.
6 – BLOATING: Bloating is an early sign that you are approaching menopause. Bloating is a common perimenopausal symptom, especially if it persists after you complete your periods.
7 – SORE BREASTS: Feeling soreness in your breasts is a common symptom in perimenopause. It is the same as the sore you experience when you have your period or are pregnant.
8 – WEIGHT GAIN: Weight gain during menopause, especially around your middle, is caused by the hormonal changes your body is going through. It is not caused by Hormone Replacement Therapy, HRT. Exercise and a healthy diet can help you combat it.
9 – CHANGES IN LIBIDO: While most women report having a decrease in their libido, some have reported having increased libido. The changes in libido are, therefore, different from one woman to another. Decreased libido is said to be associated with gaining weight. It can lower your sex drive by making you feel uncomfortable with your body. Exercising and eating healthy can, however, make you embrace your body again.
10 – HEADACHES: If you experienced headaches during your menstrual period, it is common to get headaches during menopause too. Hormones released by your ovaries may also affect chemicals in the brain related to headaches. Headaches are less likely to occur if your hormones are steady. In the menopause years, however, the hormones fluctuate, explaining why headaches are more frequent in menopause.
12 – ELECTRIC SHOCKS: Electric shocks are a menopausal symptom that occur suddenly and are due to the inappropriate firing of neurons. You are likely to experience electric shocks after hot flushes.
13-BURNING TONGUE: A burning tongue is due to dry mouth that may be due to reduced levels of oestrogen. Just like the mucosa of the vagina, the mucosa of the mouth has oestrogen receptors that contribute to saliva formation. Reduction in your estrogen levels during menopause leads to reduced saliva production.
14 – PROBLEMS WITH GUMS: Gum problems during menopause can cause your mouth to taste like metal. Gum problems affect 10-40% of women.
15 – DIGESTIVE ISSUES: Digestive issues may be excessive flatulence, bloating, nausea and abdominal cramps. The problems arise from elevated cortisol levels as your estrogen decreases, since estrogen is responsible for maintaining healthy cortisol levels.
16 – DRY AND ITCHY SKIN: When your estrogen levels decrease during menopause, collagen also decreases. Collagen is a protein in the body that strengthens your skin and keeps it moist. When it drops, your skin becomes dry, inelastic and itchy.
17 – ANXIETY: Anxiety affects one out of three menopausal women. It is common in women who also experience mood swings.
18 – TINGLING SENSATION IN THE EXTREMITIES: While most women report experiencing tingling sensations in their fingers and toes, it is also normal to experience a burning sensation or some numbness. These changes are due to a drop in your oestrogen levels that affects your central nervous system, which relays signals to the rest of your body.
19 – SLEEPING DIFFICULTIES: Insomnia is common because of hot flushes that can occur at night. The flashes may lead to night sweats that make it uncomfortable for you to sleep.
21 – DIZZINESS: Sudden unexplainable dizziness during menopause is said to be associated with a drop in your levels of estrogen.
22 – FATIGUE: Feeling exhausted is also common during menopause. Research shows that 25% of women experience fatigue during menopause.
23 – LOSS OF HAIR: Age may affect your hair volume and also make it thin. However, menopause accelerates the two and also makes you lose hair faster.
24- MEMORY LAPSE: Temporary forgetfulness is a common symptom you will experience in later stages of menopause. It is associated with fatigue, but you can rectify it by doing cognitive exercises to enhance your cognition.
25 – BRITTLE NAILS: Your nails may break easily during menopause. Estrogen is essential in keeping the keratin layer, which strengthens your nails, strong. When it reduces, the keratin layer weakens to cause brittle nails in many women in their menopause.
26 – TIGHT MUSCLES: Strain in your muscles is often associated with stress. Since menopause is associated with symptoms like anxiety and stress, your muscles may tighten. Yoga and meditation can, however, relieve stress and help your body relax for your muscles to loosen.
27- STRESS INCONTINENCE: The inability to control your bladder when you lift heavy items off the ground or cough is called stress incontinence. During menopause, physical activities can cause urine leakage because they stress your bladder.
28 – CHANGES IN BODY ODOUR: The natural body scent changes when you reach menopause. These changes may be due to hormonal changes and frequent sweating associated with hot flushes.
29 – IRRITABILITY: Fluctuations in your hormones are associated with changes in mood at menopause. Try relaxing activities and exercise, or meditating to help control the changes in your moods.
30 – ALLERGIES: Since hormones and your immune system are linked, finding yourself allergic to new things is common when you are in menopause.
31 – IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT: You may notice changes in your heartbeat, such as palpitations. Similar to the tingling sensations you may experience during menopause, irregular heartbeats occur because the drop in your estrogen levels may cause misfiring of neurons.
33 – PANIC DISORDER: As aforementioned, menopausal women are prone to anxiety due to hormonal changes. Anxiety may contribute to panic attacks. However, panic attacks are not a common symptom of menopause.
34-OSTEOPOROSIS: Osteoporosis is a condition associated with weak bones that are prone to fractures. A significant function of estrogen is to maintain healthy and strong bones. Your bones, therefore, weaken when your estrogen levels lower during menopause.
