A lot of elderly women ask the question ‘what are the symptoms of menopause?’ Menopause marks the ending of the fertile era of a woman. Doctors diagnose menopause if the woman does not experience menstruation for 12 months. Some of the ordinary symptoms of menopause involve vaginal dryness, irregular periods, mood swings, hot flushes and more that affect everyday life. There are a variety of circumstances that may trigger menopause, the most common of them being aging.

When a woman ages, she undergoes a natural reduction in the secretion of the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Other common causes may involve chemotherapy, radiation treatments and hysterectomy.

What Are The Symptoms of Menopause

More on what are the symptoms of menopause

In menopause, the woman goes without periods for around 12 months. However, its symptoms usually appear before that. The time until menopause is known as perimenopause. After menopause, the time is described as postmenopause.

In the perimenopause phase, most women start experiencing the common symptoms of menopause. These are usually known as menopausal symptoms in spite of the fact that they occur before menopause. This period may last up to several years, and this is the time when the woman menstruates and is still fertile.

If you ask, ‘what are the symptoms of menopause?’ one possible answer would be the hot flushes which are among the commonest symptoms of an impending menopause. They may begin earlier than any other sign, often interrupting sleep, occurring any time and lasting for up to a few minutes. Women usually perspire and experience flushing sensations in their neck, head and chest regions when the hot flashes are in progress.

Due to the discrepancy in hormone production, women with an imminent menopause may experience irregular periods. The menstruation may be lighter or heavier than normal, occurring less frequently. The menstruation stops permanently when the body stops the production of eggs.

Menopause marks the infertile stages of a woman. She may experience various kinds of psychological issues, although the accurate reasons are yet to be discovered. Some of them may involve problems with memory, mood changes and irritability. They should thoroughly research ‘what are the symptoms of menopause’.

Often, the changes are ascribed to the psychological and emotional changes as a result of lack of sleep. Some other symptoms may include loss of fullness of breasts and gaining of abdominal fat. Another possible indication is thinning of hair. While treatment is not medically required, some may resort to antidepressants, vaginal creams and hormone therapy to seek relief of their individual symptoms.

The signs of menopause may vary for different women, especially if they are in the initial stages. Recognition of symptoms may lead to successful identification of the crucial transition to treat and manage the condition appropriately and stay relaxed once menopause sets in. You may discuss questions like ‘what are the symptoms of menopause’ with your gynecologist, endocrinologist or gerontologist.

Due to the reduced levels of hormone production, your body may react by the closure of the reproductive system, preventing pregnancies in the future. Menopause after 45 is termed as mature menopause.