What’s Menopause REALLY Like? Let’s Find Out!
Officially, menopause marks one full year without a menstrual cycle. This usually occurs between the ages of 48 and 55, and once you’ve hit that mark, you are post-menopausal, meaning your period won’t come back.
But it’s often the years before that throw women for a physical loop. Born with a finite number of reproductive years, your body goes through some pretty drastic changes as you near the end of that cycle, typically starting in your early 40’s and lasting anywhere from 2 to 10 years!
This is known as the perimenopause phase, and for many women, it can feel like your body is falling apart, with new and seemingly random symptoms showing up every day.
Are you in the perimenopausal phase? Check this list of symptoms to find out.
Hot Flashes
Feeling as if your skin is on fire? Or, maybe it’s more like your body’s internal heater is stuck on HIGH. Hot flashes are one of the first and most common symptoms of perimenopause and because they’re so extreme and random, it can be difficult to function normally once they set in.
Extreme Fatigue
Also called Menopausal Crashing Fatigue, the initial cause is the hormonal imbalance in your body, but other external factors – such as stress and the quality/quantity of sleep you get – can make it worse. Crashing fatigue leaves you feeling exhausted and depleted – both physically and mentally – even though you may have felt great just ten minutes ago – and you’re not sure you can keep going without recharging first.
Other symptoms related to crashing fatigue include irritability, memory lapses and difficulty concentrating.
Mood Swings
Menopausal mood swings are intense, extreme and frequent. You may also feel depressed, anxious, nervous and angry all in the same day – or even the same moment! – and it’s not unusual to feel all these things without any good reason why.
And just an FYI… menopausal mood swings can affect anyone, even if you had no problem with PMS and pregnancy.
Allergies
Menopause can not only produce new allergies, it can also intensify allergies you already have. This includes allergies of the sneezing and wheezing variety as well as skin reactions, including rashes and eczema. This is all because of the chemical imbalance going on, so while it’s perfectly normal, you need to treat allergies seriously, as some can quickly become life-threatening.
Irregular Periods
One of the surest signs that you’ve entered the perimenopause phase is a change in your menstrual cycle. For some, this means fewer periods and/or a lighter flow. For other women, the periods become heavier and more frequent. Every woman is different, so there is no “norm” when it comes to menopausal menstrual cycles.
You may also experience spotting between periods, clotting, intense cramping and anovulation, a menstrual cycle without ovulation. This particular symptom of perimenopause can last anywhere from three to ten years and yes, you can still become pregnant during this time, even if you haven’t had a period in months.
Hair Loss
Your hair grows in stages and while about 90% is in the growth phase, the remaining 10% is in a resting phase, ready to fall out and make room for new growth. That means you’ll normally lose between 50-100 hairs a day, until that is, you enter menopause.
Unfortunately, hair growth is extremely sensitive to hormonal balances in the body, so as you enter the perimenopause phase of life, hair is often one of the first things to react. You might notice dry, brittle locks and an itchy scalp or thinning hair and even hair loss. You may also notice less hair on your head, but new “whisker-like” hairs on your chin or upper lip. That’s another lovely gift from your new, crazy hormones.
Joint Pain
Joint pain and stiffness is a common complaint among menopausal women. So much so in fact, “menopausal arthritis” has become a widely accepted diagnosis. Areas most affected are typically those that get the most impact – hips, knees, shoulders and hands – but menopausal joint pain can technically affect any area of the body.
Loss of Bone Density
As estrogen levels decline, so does your body’s ability to absorb and make use of the calcium you’re taking in. As a result, your body begins to use more than it can retain and your bones begin to break down, eventually resulting in osteoporosis if left unchecked.
A word of warning here: osteoporosis doesn’t typically show symptoms. In fact, you may not know you have it until a bone fractures, most often in the back or hips. And once a break occurs as a result of osteoporosis, you are more likely to have more fractures in the future.
Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
Due to the same calcium deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that are causing all the other symptoms we’ve mentioned, menopause can also cause gum disease (gingivitis), progressive tooth decay and bone loss around the roots of your teeth. If not treated, the result is tooth loss.
Vaginal Dryness and Itching
The vagina typically does a good job of maintaining a healthy bacterial balance, but during menopause, that balance seems to go out the window. You may experience itching, burning and dryness, much like a yeast infection gone extreme.
Night Sweats
Like hot flashes, night sweats can just “happen” without warning. Some can be mild and managed with an extra fan, while others can be severe, making it difficult to sleep soundly through the night. There have been stories of women having to change both their night clothes and their sheets and regardless of the severity, night sweats can result in exhaustion and irritability during the day.
Decreased Libido
In additional to vaginal dryness, many women experience a decreased desire to have sex. This doesn’t mean you lose your ability to become aroused or orgasm, just that you’re not as inclined to do it. If you’re experiencing dryness and itchiness as well, this can exacerbate the problem.
And oh yes, there’s more!
Menopause symptoms can also include insomnia, weight gain, incontinence, pain during sex, brittle nails, rapid or irregular heart rate and headaches…
But you don’t have to suffer in silence.
Science is finally discovering the power of Mother Nature and by combining natural ingredients with the body’s own chemical makeup, you can move through menopause naturally and easily… and you don’t have to risk the dangers associated with conventional medical treatments to do it!
<<<Just click here to find out how!>>>