Every woman’s experience may be unique, but the root cause of the symptoms is always the same – loss of hormonal balance. Medical science has identified 34 different symptoms associated with menopause. Some are mild. Others can be utterly debilitating. Finding a right treatment for your symptoms could be your biggest challenge. There are a variety of treatments that can be used to manage these symptoms.
Hot Flashes
About 75 to 85% of women experience hot flashes when they are in menopause. Hot flashes are sudden waves of mild or intense body heat caused by a rush of hormonal changes as a result from decreased estrogen levels. Unpredictable in length, hot flashes can last from a few seconds to a half-hour. Some women experience up to 30 of these episodes each day. Anxiety, increased stress, warm temperatures and the use of substances such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, can trigger hot flashes. Hot flashes are associated with flushing of the entire face and upper body and can be followed by perspiration. Click here for more information about Hot Flashes.
Night sweats are nocturnal hot flashes. Women experience episodes of nighttime sweating because estrogen levels are often especially low at night. Medically termed “sleep hyperhidrosos,” night sweats can range from mild to profuse. Some can be drenching sweats that require changing bed sheets and pajamas. Commonly interrupting a woman’s sleep cycle, the most frequent symptoms of night sweats are intense and sudden heart, nausea, irregular heartbeat, headaches and chills. Due to these disruptive symptoms, women who suffer from night sweats experience sleep disorders, insomnia, trouble concentrating, irritability, exhaustion and high stress levels. Click here for more information about Night Sweats.
Irregular periods are typically one of the first signs that a woman is approaching menopause. Irregular menstrual bleeding is a sign that there is a problem with your hormonal signal. In order to have a period, your body produces hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones are found in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries. In order to trigger ovulation and menstruation, these parts of the body need to send signals to one another. This process is closely controlled by the hypothalamus. As you age, the hypothalamus function declines and these signals are thrown out of order, causing irregular periods. Marked by changes in a woman’s typical menstrual cycle that persists for several months, women who experience irregular periods have frequent spotting, mid-cycle bleeding or heavy bleeding. Click here for more information about Irregular Periods.
During menopause, up to 40% of women lose the desire for intimacy. Loss of libido, also known as “hypoactive sexual desire disorder,” is a lack of interest and desire in sexual activity. Some find that they don’t think about sex nearly as much as they used to. While others still want to have sex, but symptoms like vaginal dryness, itchiness and burning, combined with a volatile emotional state and other menopausal challenges, make it almost impossible for them to enjoy it. Hormones play an important role in maintaining an active sex drive. Estrogen is responsible for sensitivity during sex. Testosterone promotes sexual desire and vaginal lubrication. Progesterone elevates libido. One’s menopausal loss of libido is caused by an imbalance in the levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Click here for more information about Loss of Libido.
Affecting more than 80% of menopausal women, vaginal dryness, also known as vaginal atrophy, affects women of all ages. Vaginal dryness can ruin sexual intercourse and leave behind feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Estrogen in your body keeps your vagina moist by mucous membranes. As your estrogen levels decrease, the mucous membranes near your uterus produce less mucous. As a result, the vagina becomes dry, weaker and thin. Acid levels decline, making women more prone to invading microorganisms, such as UTI’s and yeast infections. The common symptoms of vaginal dryness include itching, irritation, stinging, painful intercourse, urinary frequency, burning and pressure. These symptoms can negatively affect the way women feel about themselves, their spouses and life in general. Click here formore information about Vaginal Dryness.
