Identifying and Coping with Early Menopause Symptoms
Menopause is the stage in a woman's life that brings so much physical and emotional turmoil that the fact that the condition also marks the end of a woman's fertility is often overshadowed. Needless to say, signs of early menopause (which include hot flashes, wild and unexplained mood swings, irregular periods, heavy or unusually light bleeding, night sweats, and many others) cause more than a little anxiety. Given all of this, the end of a woman's fertility is perhaps the least discomforting of all of the symptoms.
When Will the Onset of Menopause Occur for Me?
Typically menopause begins to set in when a woman reaches her mid-to-late 40s. As with most changes in our bodies, most people experience particular changes at approximately the same age. However, there are always exceptions and menopause is no different. Nonetheless, most women will experience at least early menopausal symptoms between the ages of 45 and 50.
Due to the chemical and hormonal imbalances that occur during menopause, even early menopause symptoms can be quite alarming to someone who is not prepared. Therefore, one of the best ways to ease into and through this phase of your life is to be educated about what is occurring to your body and why.
Symptoms of Early Menopause
One of the most common precursors of menopause is an irregular menstrual cycle. Most often this will manifest as a skipped cycle, or perhaps even two skipped cycles. In rare cases the cycle can be interrupted for three to four months in succession before restarting. Again, this will usually begin somewhere in a woman's mid-to-late 40s, but can even begin at age 50 or beyond for some women.
The Emotional Impact of Early Menopause
Physical changes are not the only things that occur during perimenopause. Chemical and hormonal imbalances also affect the emotions as well. Unpredictable and unexplained mood swings are not infrequent. Modern medicine provides a scientific explanation: Estrogen levels in the blood begin dropping because the ovaries are shutting down. The changing levels of this critical hormone are responsible for many of the life changing symptoms that occur during menopause.
Because estrogen is so critical for a woman's body, many doctors will recommend HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to counteract the attenuating levels of this hormone in the bloodstream. Hormone replacement therapy is not a trivial matter, and is certainly not without its detractors. The decision to undertake this therapy as well as its prescription should always be taken under the advisement of your doctor.
Attacking Early Menopause in the Way That's Right for You
While some women prefer a medical treatment to help alleviate their early menopause symptoms, a trip to the pharmacy is not every woman's idea of a cure. There certainly are alternatives which can help, though their effectiveness can vary from person to person and may take some experimentation.
The first step should always be education. Understanding the various options that are available, and what each can offer you will allow you to begin to narrow the field. Sources of information can include your own doctor, your library card, and of course the Internet.
Many doctors will not be open to non-medical alternatives, but many are opening their eyes to what is available and how effective they can be. If your doctor is inflexible and will not help you explore an option that you may be more comfortable with, then your first step may be looking for a new doctor.
You want to make sure that in moving forward with whatever treatment you decide on, that you do have a trained medical professional who is willing to help you. There is simply too much conflicting information out there (particularly on the Internet) for you to be going it alone!