Common Menopause Symptoms: Signs & Physical Changes To Expect

Symptoms Of Menopause:

symptoms of menopause

If you have any new or unusual symptoms, talk with your healthcare provider to see if you need further evaluation. They may be due to an unrelated condition that should be fully diagnosed and treated. Be sure to have your bone density is assessed at the recommended time (age 65 if you have no other risk factors ) and you take medications and supplements as advised by your doctor. As your estrogen decreases, the walls of your blood vessels may become less flexible. This can cause your blood pressure to rise, which is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

symptoms of menopause

It’s common for women in menopause to lose control of their bladder. You may also feel a constant need to urinate even without a full bladder, or experience painful urination. This is because during menopause, the tissues in your vagina and urethra lose their elasticity and the lining thins. Having sex or other sexual activity involving the female genitals can increase blood flow to that area.

This could be the result of lower quality sleep as a result of hot flashes and night sweats or due to hormonal fluctuations themselves. Lots of things can affect your mood and that includes the effect of changes in hormones that happen around menopause. If you’ve had anxiety or depression in the past, your symptoms may worsen during menopause. If you feel anxious or depressed for more than a few weeks, tell your doctor. Together, you can decide on a treatment to help you feel better. Skipping periods during perimenopause is common and expected.

These changes can include a delayed clitoral reaction time, slow or absent orgasmic response, and vaginal dryness. The decreased production of estrogen and progesterone can affect the thin layer of moisture that coats the vaginal walls. Women can experience vaginal dryness at any age, but it can be a particular problem for women going through menopause. The symptoms that women experience are primarily related to a lowered production of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Symptoms vary widely because of the many effects that these hormones have on the female body.

This is most likely due to the drop in estrogen that occurs following menopause. This drop causes the vaginal tissues to thin, leading to dryness, irritation, and other factors that make it easier for a UTI to develop. UTIs are recurrent if a person experiences three or more in 1 year or two or more within 6 months. Some people use black cohosh to improve symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Discuss all past medical conditions and your family history with your healthcare provider to understand the risks versus benefits of hormone therapy. As you age, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares over here to stop. This cycle has been continuously functioning since puberty. As menopause nears, your ovaries make less of a hormone called estrogen. When this decrease occurs, your menstrual cycle (period) starts to change.

Also don’t take it if you might be pregnant or you have undiagnosed vaginal bleeding. Menopause starts on average around age 51 when it happens page naturally. The age at which yours will start is mostly determined by your genes. If you do miss your period, make sure to rule out pregnancy.

Some people may actually want to have sex MORE after menopause because they don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. Being postmenopausal may give you a sense of freedom to enjoy sex. They may last more days or fewer, and be lighter get the facts or heavier. Missing a few of periods does not always mean you are in perimenopause or the transition to menopause. Perimenopausal women need access to quality health services and communities and systems that can support them.

Hormone therapy, lifestyle strategies, and other treatments can help manage symptoms. If you have troublesome symptoms that may be due to menopause, consider talking with a doctor for treatments and support. You can use our menopause symptom questionnaire (PDF, 168KB) to keep a note of your symptoms and how you’re feeling. You can print it and talk about it with your healthcare professional to help them understand the different symptoms you’re experiencing. If you get gender-affirming care that includes hormonal therapy to raise estrogen and lower testosterone levels, you can also have menopause symptoms. Sometimes it’s caused by vasomotor symptoms like night sweats.

Keep in mind that symptoms can be very different from one person to another. Find an AMS doctor with a specific interest in women’s health at midlife and menopause, and the promotion of healthy ageing. Some women feel discomfort in their vagina, especially during sex. This is a common symptom caused by a decrease in moisture produced by the lining of the vagina.

If they are having difficulty sleeping, finding it difficult to work, or experiencing severe mood changes, some treatments may help. Early signs of menopause typically include irregular periods, but you may also start to notice hot flashes, mood changes, and other symptoms. You’re in menopause when you’ve gone a year without having a period. Menopause and its symptoms are different for different people. If menopause symptoms bother you, talk to your doctor about treatment options including lifestyle changes and medication.

During this stage, menstruation becomes irregular and menstrual flow may be heavier or lighter. You may experience symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. The estrogen your body makes throughout your life before menopause protects against heart attack and stroke. When your estrogen levels go down during and after menopause, your risk for heart and blood vessel problems goes up. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Get regular exercise, eat well, and watch your cholesterol and blood pressure.

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