Menopause among women is inevitable. Commonly referred to as “the big change” in a woman’s life, it happens to most women from the age of fifty and above.
However, menopause can happen to some women even at the late thirties or early forties. Such is called as early menopause. This is brought about by certain factors such as genetics and other medical procedures.
Early menopause symptoms come in different forms. Each is different for every woman.
Generally, common early menopause symptoms experienced by a greater majority are as follows:
1. Irregular or missed periods: One of the most common early menopause symptoms is having irregular or missed periods. As a general rule, women follow a 28-day menstrual cycle.
During the onset of menopause, this cycle may no longer be regular. A woman may experience missing her periods for two months or beyond. Considered as among the early menopause symptoms, this should not cause alarm for this is a normal thing.
2. Heavier or lighter periods: During the early menopause, a woman may experience a heavier or lighter blood flow. This is because, the ovaries are already producing less estrogen. Experiencing one of these early menopause symptoms is common among women. However, for heavier periods characterized by incessant blood flow, it is best to consult a doctor.
3. Hot flashes: Oftentimes, women undergoing menopause complains of having hot flashes. The most common of all early menopause symptoms, this should not bother anyone else. In fact, this is often dubbed as “the hallmark of menopuase”. Defined as a sudden onset of bodily warmth in women, hot flashes as early menopause symptoms may be regulated by eating soy products such as tofu, miso and soya beans.
4. Incontinence: Of all the early menopause symptoms, incontinence is the most embarassing of all. Because of a decrease in the woman’s estrogen production during early menopause, a multitude of changes takes place including lack of bladder control. This usually happens when a woman laughs, coughs or sneezes.
5. Emotional changes: Having been around women undergoing menopause, the most complained of all early menopause symptoms is the different emotional changes a woman exhibits.
Women tend to have these changes which may be attributed to other early menopause symptoms suchs as sleeplessness and hot flashes. Oftentimes, these causes a woman to experience discomfort and irritability.
6. Decreased sex drive: The low level in a woman’s estrogen, progesterone or testosterone can cause one’s sex drive to decrease.
Estrogen is the hormone responsible in heightening a woman’s sensitivity while progesterone keeps the libido up. Consequently, if these hormones drop, so does a woman’s sexual desire. There is also vaginal dryness making sexual intercourse less satisfying.
Studies show that women who had early menopause are more prone to certain diseases such as osteoporosis, periodontal diseases, tooth loss, cataract formation and increased risk in acquiring colon and ovarian cancers. This is because, the ovaries’ failure to produce estrogen during menopause totally affects a woman’s over all health.
Primarily, early menopause symptoms bear similar resemblances with menopause after the age of fifty. However, not all symptoms may hold true for every woman.
