34 Menopause Symptoms

Menopause indicates the end of the reproductive life cycle, and the beginning of the third stage in a woman's life. There are about 34 menopause symptoms, a woman can go through in her mid-forties to mid-fifties. To know more about these 34 menopause symptoms, read further.

The word 'menopause' sounds really depressing and has so many unavoidable aspects related to it. Although, I have couple of decades to wait for this fateful creation by Mother Nature, it is something we can't escape. Menopause is the ceasing of the menstrual cycle and typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. There is a decline in the ovarian function and a woman approaching menopause starts to show symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and hair loss. Though, the list contains 34 menopause symptoms, many women do not experience all of them. One thing that can put our minds at ease, while going through the list of menopause symptoms, is that men too suffer from symptoms of male menopause or andropause. The 34 symptoms that women can experience during menopause are as follows.

34 Symptoms of Menopause

Hot flashes: This is the most common menopause symptom that women go through. Hot flashes can lead to sudden, brief sensation of heat, rushing of blood to the face or chest, feeling hot to touch the skin as well as sweating.

Depression: Low self-esteem, sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy are often found in women undergoing menopause. This is due to a decline in the estrogen levels. Although, depression is not a symptom of menopause, there are other factors like family issues and personal crises that increase the chances of these symptoms in women going through menopause.

Night sweats: Night sweats and hot flashes go hand-in-hand. At night, some women may feel cold, while their bodies are sweating.

Mental fatigue: Drained due to thinking too much about the menopausal period, can result in mental fatigue. Constant worrying can put women in such a situation.

Physical fatigue: Loss of strength and energy to lead the daily life activities is hindered by physical fatigue.

Mood swings: Cluster of emotions like joy, sadness, anger and fear can trigger mood swings.

Anxiety: Sudden feelings of panic and family issues can also advance the feelings of anxiety during menopause.

Itchy, crawly skin: Not just dry itchy skin, there is a feeling of ants crawling under the skin. The tingling feeling is called formication and is known to occur in the extremities.

Vaginal dryness: Vaginal dryness may lead to uncomfortable intercourse. Though, it is one of the symptoms of menopause that is not openly discussed, it can be a cause for depression in women.

Loss of libido: Several women may experience low sex drive and lack of interest.

Hair loss: Loss or thinning of hair on head can result from excess stress and depression.

Water retention: Retention of excess fluids and/or bloating is observed in some women.

Breast tenderness: This can be linked with water retention, as it may cause tenderness in breasts.

Incontinence: It is defined as involuntary urination and is experienced by many women.

Sudden headaches: Fluctuations in the hormone levels, tend to increase the frequency of headaches.

Irritability: Women may tend to get easily annoyed during menopause.

Anger: Strong emotions, ranging from minimal annoyance to full-blown rage, are not uncommon.

Weight gain: Weight gain due to hormonal imbalances, has been observed during menopause.

Insomnia: Sleep disorders like insomnia or sleeplessness is quite common occurrence during menopause.

Memory problems: Forgetfulness is another symptom of menopause. Some women may experience problems related with forgetfulness.

Dizziness: Menopause in women is also characterized by sudden dizziness.

Indigestion & Bloating: Failure to digest may cause abdominal discomfort or heartburn.

Vaginal yeast infection: Caused due to overgrowth of a fungus called Candida albicans, the vaginal infection results in dryness of vagina and painful intercourse.

Changes in periods: Fluctuations in hormone levels lead to irregular, heavy or light periods during premenopause or the first stage of menopause. Read more on premenopause symptoms.

Rapid heartbeat: One of the symptoms of menopause is sudden escalation of heartbeat.

Bladder problems: Frequent urination, which is also due to water retention, can affect many women.

Distraction: Due to being distracted, some women may have difficulty in concentrating in daily chores.

Increase in allergies: Hypersensitive response to certain types of allergies is another symptom of menopause. If some women have allergies to fur, dander, or pollen, chances are that these aliments can get heightened.

Body odor: Changes or frequent fluctuations in body odor are not unknown among menopausal women.

Thinning of bones: Some women may experience loss of bone tissue, weakening of bones and there may be subtle changes in the overall body structure. This can contribute to the risk of fracture.

Joint and muscle pain: Aching or sore joints, muscles and tendons are other common symptoms.

Burning mouth syndrome: Bad taste in mouth, along with burning sensation may be experienced.

Changes in fingernails: Some women may observe that their fingernails become brittle or soft.

Tinnitus: Ringing or booming sensation in one or both ears or tinnitus is another common symptom of menopause.

The main idea behind listing these 34 menopause symptoms is to inform you of the inevitable; like they say 'forewarned is forearmed'. There are women who don't feel anything during menopause, and on the other hand, some women go through a collective of the above-mentioned symptoms. So, instead of worrying and getting depressed, a few tips can be followed to ease yourself into one of the beautiful experiences of life. Make it a point to get regular check-ups with your doctor, get sufficient exercise, eat healthy, get good amount of rest. Moreover, don't forget to seek medical advice on how to manage the symptoms you experience during menopause.