34 Menopause Symptoms

Menopause is the change every middle-aged woman experiences. 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. Every woman has to face it, one day or another. Menopause is the ceasing of the menstrual cycle and typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Every woman has to face this phase in her life. As 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 in the article we will be discussing only 34 symptoms of menopause, many women do not experience all of them. At times, there can be other symptoms as well. 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

Before we begin, I would like to say that not all of these symptoms will be experienced by everyone. However, these are some of the most common symptoms. And now, without delaying anymore, we will discuss on the symptoms. Even though there is no escape, we definitely can understand what menopause is all about and have information beforehand to decrease being stressed.

Hot Flashes	Many women have been known to experience hot flashes during their menopause. This is the most common symptom. 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	Unexplained sadness, low self-esteem, 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. Depression during menopause can also lead to eating and sleeping disorders, anxiety, and discouragement.
Night Sweats	Waking up, in the middle of the night, with clothes wet means you are having night sweats. Along with hot flashes, night sweats may also occur; sometimes together. At night, some women may feel cold, while their bodies are sweating. The reason is that women go through hormonal changes during menopause, which leads to night sweats.
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. Exhaustion due to mental and physical exertion, and lack of stamina results in mental fatigue.
Physical Fatigue	Loss of strength and energy to lead the daily life activities is hindered by physical fatigue. Malnutrition and hormonal imbalance can also cause physical fatigue.
Mood Swings	When you can't control your emotions, regardless of a situation, it is called having mood swings. Cluster of emotions like joy, sadness, anger, and fear can trigger mood swings. This can occur while doing normal day-to-day chores around the house or at work.
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 and 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.
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.

Now if you'd like to go more in detail or want more information, apart from the above mentioned systems of menopause, you may also like to read the article on premenopause symptoms for more information.

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.