Symptoms of Menopause: What to Look Out For

Menopause is often identified by the end of monthly menstruation, due to loss of ovarian follicular function, and usually occurs between the ages of 45-55. As many women know, however, menopause is an ongoing process that can be unpredictable, and involves so much more than the end of your period. If you are unfamiliar, you may experience worry or unease about what lies ahead. 

While menopause can be daunting, it helps to know what you’re looking for. We’re going over signs, symptoms and when to talk to your provider. 

 

Knowing the Symptoms

Changes in hormones during menopause affect you physically, mentally and socially. These changes can vary drastically from person to person. A wide range of symptoms may be experienced. 

Symptoms of menopause include:

Irregular periods: This is the first indication that menopause could be approaching. 

Hot flashes: A sudden feeling in the face, neck or chest is described as a “hot flash” during menopause. This is a common symptom, affecting about 85% of menopausal women. Around 55% of women experience severe hot flashes as they transition toward menopause.

Night sweats: This symptom is essentially hot flashes while you’re asleep. Experiencing night sweats might cause you to wake up covered in perspiration, with damp clothes or bedsheets.

Insomnia or sleep disruption: Trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, is a common symptom of menopause. If you find yourself lying awake for many hours or having restless nights, this can also lead to fatigue or moodiness during the day. 

Mood changes: Many women going through the transitional period before menopause can experience mood swings. Increased teariness, short tempers, and other changes might feel similar to premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. 

Vaginal dryness and frequent urinary tract infections: This symptom happens as your estrogen levels decrease. Less estrogen leads to the vaginal lining becoming thinner and weaker. This symptom can cause intercourse to feel unsatisfying or painful. 

Incontinence: Low estrogen levels thin not only your vaginal lining, but also your bladder lining. This can lead to urinary frequency and urgency. 

Managing Symptoms

While there isn’t one quick and easy way to combat the symptoms of menopause, talking to your doctor can help you understand your options. 

Non-hormonal treatments: Some non-hormonal treatments include a variety of options, including antidepressants. You might also discuss helpful natural and lifestyle changes with your doctor. 

Hormone-based treatments: For some, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves the symptoms of menopause by supplementing female hormones. Systemic estrogen comes as a pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream or spray, while low-dose vaginal estrogen comes as a cream, tablet or ring.

While HRT can be helpful, it can also pose risks for some patients. Discussing your medical history with your provider is an important step before starting any HRT.

 

Premature and Early Menopause

If the loss of estrogen or the loss of ovarian function occurs before the age of 40, it’s considered premature menopause. If it occurs before 45, it’s considered early menopause.

Premature and early menopause can happen because of certain surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation or health conditions—or it can happen on its own without a clear reason. If you think you might be reaching menopause early, you can talk to your health care provider.

 

Long-Term Impact

Many people think that menopause is something that happens during a certain window of time, but menopause is an ongoing process. Certain symptoms might be temporary, but menopause impacts every part of the body, from the brain and heart to the bones, blood vessels and muscles. 

Along with physical changes, possible mood swings and lowered libido can cause emotional and social changes in your life. While menopause is a natural part of life, it is something that has the potential to touch every part of your life, and it’s an important topic to discuss. 

 

Why Learn About Menopause?

Menopausal care plays a significant role in healthy aging. Your Texas Tech Physicians provider can help you grasp what you’re currently going through or what you might expect to see in the future. Menopause is a unique opportunity to reassess your health and lifestyle, and develop goals as you age. Book an appointment to talk with your doctor today.

 

To ensure accurate and reliable information, this post was thoughtfully reviewed and co-written by David Rogers, M.D.