Know about Menopause

August 15, 2010 by Admin
Filed under: Estrogen, Symptoms of Menopause, menopause

You are at that age…you know, the one where you roll your eyes if anyone suggests that you are at “that age”. “That age” is the age of menopause. It is the age when our female reproductive systems begin to shut down, the beginning of hormonal decline.

Knowledge is power. Understanding menopause will help you to deal with menopause. Here is some points on the symptoms of menopause and how your body may react to the change in your hormone levels.

Know the symptoms:

Hot Flashes: These are one of the first things noticed by women as they enter menopause. Even a large portion of post-menopausal women experience hot flashes.

Night Sweats: Yuck! Nothing worse than being in a wonderfully sound sleep and then waking up to sheets and bedclothes soaked in sweat.

Vaginal Changes: This happens because estrogen levels drop when we enter menopause. I have to admit, this one caught me off guard. It happened several years after my first symptom of menopause appeared. I thought I had a yeast infection or something worse. Symptoms may include vaginal dryness, burning, itching and irritation.

Know your body:

Emotions: Don’t be surprised by your moodiness and irritability as night sweats and hot flashes interrupt your sleep and cause you to feel exhausted during the day.

Estrogen: When you enter menopause, your ovaries stop producing estrogen. Some is still produced in the adrenal glands, fatty tissue and brain.

Reproductive System: Eventually your menstrual period will stop, but you may actually have heavy bleeding in the years leading up to it. Vaginal walls will become thinner and less elastic as you advance through menopause.

Bones: After menopause, women are more likely to get osteoporosis. This condition will cause your bones to become thin and porous. It gets worse and worse until a break occurs, or a fall that causes a break. The most common places to get osteoporosis is the hip, spine and wrist.

There is a wealth of information available regarding menopause. Do not suffer in silence. I recommend reading “The Breakthrough” by Suzanne Somers for some really good information about hormone imbalance.