Early Symptoms and Diagnosis of Menopause

Early Symptoms of Menopause

Did you know that menopause isn’t really menopause until you haven’t had a period for at least 12 months? What most women refer to as ‘the change of life’ or menopause is actually perimenopause or early menopause.

The early symptoms of menopause are related to the hormonal levels and changes in the body that happens naturally as women age. Because there is such a negative stigma to menopause many women aren’t all that interested in learning that their bodies are approaching this change.

The negative stigma includes the idea that women who have gone through menopause age faster and gain weight easier. Women are also bothered by the changes to their skin that happens as the protective factors of estrogen are removed and the skin loses collagen and elastin much more quickly. The decline in estrogen is also related to the increased risk factors for heart disease and stroke in women.

But menopause and perimenopause are really normal and natural aging factors in the life cycle of a woman. Women who are able to embrace these changes and learn different ways of accommodating to their bodies are much more likely to progress through the cycle with grace and contentment and without depression and fear.

Some of the early symptoms of menopause are related to the decline in hormonal activity, specifically follicle stimulating hormone and estrogen. This decline results in symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, vaginal dryness, chronic fatigue (not to be confused with chronic fatigue syndrome), cramps, hair loss, water retention, night sweats, cold flashes, changes in sleep patterns, yeast infections, depression and changes in monthly periods u duration, amount of flow and time between periods.

With recent improvements in technology and the measurement of hormonal activity manufacturers have been able to produce products that measure changes indicating early pregnancy and early menopause. The products that help women to know if their hormones are dropping, and thus are entering menopause, can be helpful for women to plan and anticipate changes that are coming shortly.

With the start of the early symptoms of menopause women are assured that although they may not enjoy the changes that are coming, their bodies are functioning normally. With support from friends, family and their physicians women are able to sail through menopause with the least amount of distress and discomfort.

Diagnosis of menopause

The diagnosis of menopause happens when a woman’s menstrual cycle has stopped for at least 12 months. There are, of course, other hormonal indications and perimenopausal symptoms that many women experience but, the biggest thing that happens to a woman during menopause is the cessation of her menstrual cycle.

There have been other terms used for this time in a woman’s life. Some have called it the ‘change of life’ for decades. This refers to the change that a woman experiences when she goes from childbearing years to no longer being able to bear a child.

Other changes include the symptoms of both menopause and peri-menopause that have plagued women. These changes have driven women to seek medical care and relief from physicians. These symptoms and changes include vaginal dryness, headaches, hot or cold flashes, sweating, mood swings and weight gain.

Women may begin to experience the symptoms of peri-menopause from the age of 39 through the age of 50. The cessation of menstruation can happen in that same age range. The variation in start and stop of this process is large but normal.

The start of menstruation begins when the function of the ovarian system begins to decline. While this normally happens after age 40 there are about 5% of women who will experience premature menopause before the age of 40 idiopathically. This means that there is no medical reason that physicians can find for the woman to have entered menopause.

There are other medical conditions that may cause a woman to enter menopause early. This is called pathological menopause and can be caused by reproductive tract tumors, malnutrition, debilitation, extreme emotional stress, excess radiation exposure and surgical procedures such as a hysterectomy or other procedures that may impair ovarian blood supply.

The diagnosis of menopause is often a milestone in a woman’s life. Not because it’s exciting but she is often saddened by her loss of being able to bear children, the changes to her body and the perception that aging is now accelerated.

Although aging happens at a set pace among all people there are things that can be done to speed the appearance of aging or decrease the appearance. For instance, smoking will decrease the amount of collagen in the skin which decreases the elasticity and youthfulness. The loss of hormonal support during menopause has the same effect of decreasing the collagen and elasticity of the skin. This increases the appearance of aging.

In a society that values the youthful appearance of a woman and admires the craggy aging face of a man the diagnosis of menopause can send a woman into a depressed state. Although we have no control over whether or not we enter menopause there are new technological advances in skin care to decrease the appearance of aging. There are also groups of women who work through the process of menopause together. This support is invaluable to a woman who is facing the challenges of symptoms, aging and changes in relationships as she enters the latter half of her life.

Delicious Stumbleupon Digg Facebook Reddit Technocrati

Obesity Have Been Associated With Infertility The Two Distinct Causes of Menopause