How To Recognize Menopause Symptoms

Menopause symptoms need to be recognised as early as possible. Why? In many cases, the symptoms of menopause are often confused with with other unrelated problems. Ideally, if you suspect menopausal symptoms are at play, visit your doctor.

Being educated about menopause is important. Many women avoid the subject and when it arrives, are "non plussed" about what is going on. Bottomline... menopause is a natural progression in a woman's life and should not be feared and ignored. Being prepared mentally is an extremely vital part of the process of coping with menopause symptoms. Being prepared gives you the ability to adjust when required and a sense of being in control.

So how does a woman know she is in menopause? The short answer to this would be when she hasn't had a menstrual period for at least a year. Barring any other medical reason, it's highly likely that the hormonal shift has taken place and a visit to the doctor for further evaluation should be a must. But what about the symptoms? What are some of the symptoms you've heard about but haven't taken the time to explore further.

Early Symptoms

Irregular bleeding is one of the most common early symptoms of menopause. There is usually a stark contrast to the extent bleeding affects one woman from another: some will experience fewer problems than others. Irregular bleeding simply means a woman may experience a period months after going without one.

Mood Swings

This can sometimes be a touchy subject. Why? Mood swings are hard to assess when relating them to menopausal activity especially if a woman is already prone to the odd mood swing or two. However, if you don't normally suffer mood swings and suddenly find you are set off by the slightest incident then this could be another tell tale sign. Irregular sleep patterns could be related to the onset of mood swings caused by night sweats.

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a sure sign of menopausal activity. Although not yet completely understood, hot flashes or night sweats can last for up to 10 years or more in some women. Night sweats are associated with irregular sleep patterns and tie in somewhat with the issue of mood swings.

Coping With Menopause Symptoms

In many cases, coping with the physical discomfort is one thing but quite often the mental discomfort can be more of a problem with the above mentioned symptoms. There are other symptoms associated with menopause however, if you are reading this, then the three we've looked at will form the basis of your menopause symptom experience. Other symptoms may occur as a result of these. Visit your doctor to discuss the best course of treatment.