10 Common Menopause Symptoms and What Helps
WOMEN'S HEALTH
By Maja Babic
Learn more about the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause!
Menopause is divided into three stages. The first is perimenopause, the period before menopause when periods become irregular. It can begin up to 10 years before periods stop.
Menopause is the point at which a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period, usually around age 51 to 52.
You spend the rest of your life in the final stage: postmenopause. Symptoms in these stages differ for every woman and can affect many parts of the body.
Top 10 menopause symptoms
1. Hot flashes and night sweats.
Eight to ten out of ten women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. (The Serbian says “8 do 10 žena” and mentions only night sweats. Check the source figure; it likely means 8 in 10.) Perimenopause is when you begin to experience the hormonal changes that lead to menopause, usually in your 40s, and it can last up to 10 years. Hot flashes and night sweats, which healthcare professionals sometimes call “vasomotor symptoms (VMS),” are caused by changes in estrogen levels. VMS can also cause sleep problems, another unwelcome effect of menopause.
2. Breast tenderness.
Breast pain usually goes away after perimenopause, when estrogen levels drop and stay low. Some women also feel breast tenderness during pregnancy, and the underlying cause is similar: shifting hormone levels. (The Serbian says the cause is the same, a drop in estrogen, which is inaccurate for pregnancy. I softened it; check the source.)
3. Heavier and unpredictable periods.
Your cycle may become longer and less predictable before it stops permanently. When perimenopause ends (usually around age 51 or 52 for most women), periods end too.
4. Mood changes.
Women report mood changes during perimenopause. These changes often remind them of PMS. Some women experience mood disorders such as depression or anxiety after menopause.
5. Sleep problems.
Even without hot flashes and night sweats, changes in estrogen levels can disrupt your natural sleep patterns. Sleep problems can also contribute to mood disturbances and may be at least partly to blame for memory problems in some women.
6. Migraine.
Changes in estrogen levels can trigger migraine attacks before and after menopause. Conversely, if you had migraines before perimenopause, they may ease after menopause.
7. Pain.
Loss of estrogen can also lead to joint pain. Pain can occur anywhere in the body and usually appears after menopause.
8. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).
GSM is sometimes called vaginal atrophy and tends to develop slowly over the years after menopause. It can lead to vaginal dryness, bladder problems, and changes in libido. It is common, and it can and should be treated. If untreated, it can keep getting worse for several years after menopause.
9. Loss of bone density.
The silent effects of estrogen loss begin years after menopause. Bone loss, or osteoporosis, can lead to fractures. Fractures in women over 50 can be debilitating, so it is important to take steps to prevent bone loss. A DEXA scan to measure bone density is recommended.
10. Increased risk of heart disease.
Even if you have no obvious symptoms, the risk of heart disease rises after menopause. It is important to have regular checkups, eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and keep an eye on your cholesterol in the years after menopause.