WHAT IS MENOPAUSE

Menopause is a normal biological process, but it can also cause abrupt changes in hormonal stability, which can cause a range of symptoms, from moderate to severe.

Menopause, though, seldom happens suddenly. Specific symptoms may appear in a woman 8 to 10 years before the specific onset of menopause. These symptoms often start for women in their 40s, but they can now start as early as the mid-30s. Perimenopause is the word used to describe this stage, in which menopausal symptoms start to appear while irregular periods continue.

Women usually must be period-free for 12 months before they are said to be going through menopause. There are a wide variety of symptoms that can arise due to the hormonal changes that are taking place internally and although there are a number of ways conditions might impact it is rare to experience all of them and each woman will be affected differently.

The most common symptoms of the menopause include:

Hot Flushes - sudden flashes of intense heat

Mood Swings - alternating feelings of anxger, anxiety and stress

Difficulty Sleeping - such as interrupted sleep or insomnia

Night Sweats - flushes of heaat that occur at night during sleep

Memory Loss - lapses in memory and brain fog

Low Libido - decreased sexual apetite sometimes accompanied or increased by vaginal dryness