There reaches a point in every woman’s life where menopause sets in. Menopause is a natural occurrence which happens in women due to reduced levels of sex hormones. Once it has occurred in a woman, it is no longer possible for her to get pregnant.
Perhaps you’re getting close to the age when menopause typically sets in, and are wondering if it’s starting to affect you? In order to personally diagnose menopause, there are a few symptoms you can consider. Here are the typical symptoms of menopause.
Irregular Periods
One of the best ways to tell if menopause is on the horizon is if your periods have become irregular. When this happens, periods can occur either less, or more often. At the same time, they can be heavier than usual, lighter than usual, shorter than usual, and longer than usual.
The stage at which this happens is known as perimenopause. During this stage, you will typically also experience weight gain, vaginal dryness, and tenderness of the breast. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, menopause is right around the corner.
Hot Flashes
Another sign that you’re experiencing menopause is if you’re experiencing hot flashes. Hot flashes come out of nowhere, causing you to feel excessively warm, and sometimes producing red blotches on your skin.
These flashes can last for any length of time, but typically take place for 1 to 5 minutes. In any case, they cause extreme discomfort, and can often make it difficult for you to sleep.
Sleep Troubles
While not all women in menopause experience insomnia, a good portion of them do. If you’re having trouble falling and staying asleep at night, you could very well be in menopause.
These sleep troubles will often be accompanied by other symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, and nausea.
Moodiness
A symptom that is commonly associated with menopause is moodiness. If you’re regularly experiencing shifts in mood for no particular reason, and you never experienced these shifts in mood before, it’s a very real possibility that menopause has taken hold.
Beware, however, as moodiness can also come with anxiety, depression, and other ailments of the mind.
Forgetfulness
Is your mind not quite as agile as it once was? While memory loss and forgetfulness often come with general aging, they can also come with menopause.
In any case, you might want to have yourself checked out by a physician. He or she will be able to diagnose the exact problem.
Libido Changes
Because menopause comes with lowering levels of sex hormones, it stands to reason that your libido would change once you started experiencing menopause. In most cases, menopause causes your sex drive to decrease, however, in other cases, it can actually rev up your sex drive.
Regardless, if you’re feeling differently about sex than you used to, you could be experiencing menopause.
Weight Gain
While weight gain can happen for a number for reasons, it often comes in tandem with menopause. If you’re gaining weight despite the fact that you’re maintaining your exercise and dietary habits, you could very well be entering menopause.
Along with this weight gain, you might also experience stiff joints, tight muscles, and dry skin.
Need Help Treating the Symptoms of Menopause?
Are you starting to experience the symptoms of menopause? Need help treating these symptoms? If so, and if you live in the Chicago area, we here at Feely Center for Optimal Health are the people to see.
We offer a variety of treatment possibilities to help you choose the best treatment for your condition, including Chinese herbs, acupuncture, or a western herbal and nutritional approach to Osteopathic manipulation.
Using an osteopathic approach, we treat the mind, the body, and the spirit. Together, we’ll put together a plan of action which helps to ease you through menopause.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
