Every woman’s menopause experience is unique. Symptoms are usually more severe when menopause occurs suddenly or over a shorter period of time.
Conditions that impact the health of the ovary, like cancer or hysterectomy, or certain lifestyle choices, like smoking, tend to increase the severity and duration of symptoms.
Aside from menstruation changes, the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause are generally the same. The most common early signs of perimenopause are:
- less frequent menstruation
- heavier or lighter periods than you normally experience
- vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and flushing.
An estimated 75 percent of women experience hot flashes with menopause.
Other common symptoms of menopause include:
- insomnia
- vaginal dryness
- weight gain
- depression
- anxiety
- difficulty concentrating
- memory problems
- reduced libido, or sex drive
- dry skin, mouth, and eyes
- increased urination
- sore or tender breasts
- headaches
- racing heart
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- reduced muscle mass
- painful or stiff joints
- reduced bone mass
- less full breasts
- hair thinning or loss
- increased hair growth on other areas of the body, such as the face, neck, chest, and upper back.
Common complications of menopause include:
- vulvovaginal atrophy
- dyspareunia, or painful intercourse
- slower metabolic function
- osteoporosis, or weaker bones with reduced mass and strength
- mood or sudden emotional changes
- cataracts
- periodontal disease
- urinary incontinence
- heart or blood vessel disease
Menopause is a natural process that occurs as the ovaries age and produce less reproductive hormones.
The body begins to undergo several changes in response to lower levels of:
- estrogen
- progesterone
- testosterone
- follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- luteinizing hormone (LH)
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