Know the Early Signs of Menopause

Menopause is a very natural part of life that all women experience. If menopause occurs after the age of forty, it is considered natural. When menopause takes place before the age of forty it is called premature menopause regardless of whether it happened naturally or via medical intervention. For women who do experience menopause naturally, it happens as a gradual process in stages that each carry their own set of signs and symptoms, some of which carry over into the next.

Peri-menopause is the first stage of the menopausal process which begins several years before menopause in most cases. At this time, the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen. Some of the signs of menopause that may appear at this stage include irregular menstrual periods, mood swings, depression and irritability. Insomnia and fatigue may occur as well as headaches, achy joints and muscle pain. Many women experience a decrease in their sex drive as well as vaginal dryness. Bladder control may also become a concern. Not all women will experience all of the signs of menopause at one time or even at all.

There are two menopause tests that may be done to determine the stage of your menopause and what may be happening in your body as a result. The first test is a blood test that checks the follicle stimulating hormone which will rise greatly as the ovaries begin to reduce their functions. The second is much like a Pap smear that will take cells from the vaginal walls to be analyzed for thinning and drying within the vagina. Keeping a calendar to record your periods and watch for irregularities will help your doctor determine a more accurate stage of menopause.

One year after the last menstrual period, the current stage is accepted as menopause. At this point there will be no more eggs released by the ovaries and they will have stopped producing a large part of their estrogen. The years after this are known as post-menopause when most menopausal symptoms will be less severe and eventually ease up altogether for most women. It is at this stage, however, that new symptoms may occur such as a reduction in bowel function, decreased brain function and an increase in wrinkling. Cataracts and macular degeneration may also occur. Treatments are available to reduce the healths risks that may occur in relation to menopause.