Early Menopause Symptoms

At some stage in life the menopause becomes a reality for every woman, therefore for those who experience this event prematurely it is important to recognize the early menopause symptoms. The purpose of this site is to help you deal with this potentially stressful event - you don't have to deal with your early menopause symptoms alone.

The menopause is neither a life-threatening condition nor a contagious disease, but the physical and psychological symptoms are very real for most women.

Early menopause is usually defined as the premature onset of menopause prior to the age of 40. The symptoms are similar to those generally applicable during perimenopause.

By gaining an understanding of the common early menopause symptoms you can prepare to handle the event in a confident and relatively stress free manner.

So what are the early menopause symptoms that you need to look out for? The perimenopause is a natural process of physical change that can last anything from two to ten years. It represents your body's reproductive system slowing down prior to the complete cessation of egg production and menstruation - the menopause.

The main difficulty confronting many women is how to distinguish between early menopause symptoms and normal body changes associated with the aging process. Many of these changes may even be exacerbated by your fluctuating hormone levels. It is important however that you don't allow this potential confusion to prevent you from taking the necessary steps to alleviate the symptoms.

Many women can expect to experience one or more of the following early menopause symptoms.

Hot Flashes - this is one of the most common symptoms associated with perimenopause. Hot flashes can occur at any time of the day or night and are a physiological response to declining levels of estrogen. Hot flashes may be mild or severe and last from a few seconds to more than 30 minutes. Most women experience only a mild form of hot flashes.

Generally women experience a heat sensation and redness of the skin over the head, but this can extend to the neck, breast, or even over the entire body. At night time hot flashes may be accompanied by night sweats.

Irregular Periods - as you get older you ovulate less frequently. Periods can be missed or last longer, or you may even experience spotting between periods. Once again hormonal fluctuations are the reason behind these early menopause symptoms. If any of the symptoms are extreme, for example heavy or constant b

Involuntary Urine Release - some women develop urinary tract problems during perimenopause. These may include urinary tract infection, stress incontinence or urge incontinence. These can of course be treated by medication or exercise.

Mood Swings - roughly half of women experience mood swings during perimenopause. Typically, emotional reactions tend to intensify with the causes attributable to both physical and psychological factors. These feelings are transient and should not be confused with the enduring hopelessness associated with clinical depression. If the mood persists beyond a few weeks you should see your physician.

Weight Gain - most women identify weight gain as one of the commonest early menopause symptoms but often to a minor degree only. Often this weight gain has more to do with the slowing down of the body's metabolism linked with aging.

Heart Palpitations - palpitations can be experienced by anyone, male or female, of any age, but a higher incidence tends to occur with perimenopause. Although distressing, the tendency to experience heart palpitations diminishes after the body adjusts to postmenopausal hormone levels.

Insomnia - abnormal sleep patterns are commonly associated with perimenopause. Many women wake once or more during the night and find it difficult to fall asleep again. Alternatively some women find it takes longer to fall asleep when they go to bed. Insomnia during perimenopause may be caused by night sweats, stress or simply the development of new sleep patterns.

Migraine Headaches - many women include the onset of migraine and other headaches among their early menopause symptoms. These may be caused by changing estrogen levels or the stress and anxiety experienced by women during perimenopause.

Changing Libido - many women experience no change in their libido during perimenopause but some do. This can range from less interest in sex, often due to painful intercourse, to an increased libido. Clearly sexual response is a complex process that is part physiological and part psychological. It is difficult therefore to isolate changing levels of estrogen as the primary reason for diminished libido, but it is certainly a strong factor in many cases.

Lack of Concentration - some women include lack of mental sharpness and fuzzy thinking among the more commonplace early menopause symptoms. How much of this is due to the approach of menopause or simply a natural consequence of aging is difficult to measure.

The good news is, many women will experience few of these early menopause symptoms or, if they do, only to a mild degree. Fortunately there are many proven treatments available that reduce the severity of perimenopause symptoms.