Menopause Night Sweats & Hot Flashes

Symptoms of Early Menopause

Symptoms of Early menopause

Forewarned is forearmed.

This is one of life’s adages that women should live by especially when dealing with menopause.

Menopause is a period that all women will go through eventually. It is inevitable. It happens when the ovaries run out of eggs and when levels of secretion of female hormones estrogen, progesterone and androgen go down. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s child-bearing days. This often occurs in their mid-50s. Usually, women who began their menstrual period early will also menopause early.

In addition to the end of one’s fertile days, menopause also brings several changes in the body. Because of the decreased levels of the female hormones, women will experience a lot of changes. In fact, these changes can actually be observed even before the actual menopause period.

Delayed again!

One of the earliest signs and symptoms of Menopause is menstrual irregularities. The effect may be varied depending on the person. There are some who will have decreased flow while others will skip their periods in some months. So don’t be surprised if you suddenly miss your monthly flow for four consecutive months.

This is quite ordinary when menopause is about to happen. This is due to the decreasing secretions of progesterone. Of course, you also have to make sure that you are not pregnant because that may be the case.

Is it warm in here?

Women who are nearing their menopausal days may also find themselves perspiring even when the temperature is already way low. Some will even start bringing battery-operated fans because they just can’t stand the heat even when inside an air-conditioned office room. What they are experiencing are hot flashes.

Hot flashes are characterized feelings of warmth and sweating even when it is actually cold brought on by the abrupt change in body temperature. About a quarter of women go through this phenomena, making it the most common indicator of menopause .

Can’t sleep

As if hot flashes and irregular monthly flow is not enough, women may also find it hard to sleep without any reason. Some also experience night sweats.

Unpredictable as the weather

Mood swings is perhaps one of the most popular symptoms of those nearing menopause. Women will be more susceptible to depression and feelings of lowliness and loneliness. They also get easily irritated more than usual and may suffer from see-saw of emotions. Happy-sad-happy-sad.

It’s in the vagina

When levels of estrogen drops, the lubrication and elasticity of the vaginal tissues may suffer. This makes intercourse more painful than before. This is the reason why some people say that sex drive goes on the a nosedive before and during menopause. Those nearing menopause are also more susceptible to urinary infections as well as vaginal problems. Urinary incontinence is also not uncommon.

Bone problems

Declining levels of the female hormone estrogen may result in bone problems especially when there is not enough calcium deposits in the body. Women will find it harder to do some work.

They will also lose some of their flexibility. Their bones become more fragile and easily broken. In fact, women who are nearing their menopausal period are advised to take lots of calcium-rich foods because the risk for osteoporosis increases. Bone loss is one of the effects of menopause that women should not take for granted.

Fats reign

Unfortunately, changes in the estrogen levels may increase the levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Often called the bad cholesterol, this increases one’s risk of heart disease.

As an added blow, the levels of the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or what is called the good cholesterol also decrease as one grows old.

Nathalie Fiset
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/symptoms-of-early-menopause-72811.html

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Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MRT)

In our grandmothers’ time, the menopause was looked on as a natural part of life and women just had to put up with it. Some women sail through it and notice no symptoms at all and others suffer quite a lot. Nowadays, there is a lot of help available in the form of hormones, to deal with symptoms that you may experience during perimenopause and menopause.

What’s Perimenopause?

This is the time prior to menopause (anything up to several years) when a woman’s monthly cycle begins to become irregular. She may experience hot flashes, sweats at night, dryness of the vagina and feel emotionally labile.

The perimenopause is what women are really enduring when they say they are going through the menopause. The medical definition of menopause is when a woman has not had a period for a year. It usually occurs when a woman is in her late forties or early fifties. Women who have had their ovaries removed during surgery, for whatever reason, will go into a sudden menopause if hormone replacement is not offered.

At the beginning of perimenopause, some doctors prescribe birth control pills. These can help to regulate or stop heavy, frequently occurring, or unpredictable periods. They can also help with the unpleasant symptoms and will prevent pregnancy. Many women think that they won’t conceive as their periods are now so erratic and then find themselves with a new baby!

What Is MHT?

Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) is the new name for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This is in the form of estrogen. If you still have a uterus, it will be combined with progesterone. Estrogen supplements alone can cause cancer of the uterus but the risk is virtually eliminated if a progestogen supplement is given with it.

MHT may help to prevent your bones thinning (osteoporosis) and help with menopause symptoms but they may return if you stop taking it.

Controversy surrounds MHT as there are risks involved. Some women may increase their risk of suffering blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer and disease of the gall bladder. If you are considering MHT, talk to your doctor who can help. It’s recommended that hormones are given in the lowest dose that helps, and taken for the shortest time that they are needed.

Five Things You Should Know Aout MHT

• It doesn’t prevent heart attacks or strokes.

• It doesn’t prevent loss of memory or Alzheimer’s disease.

• It has not been shown to prevent aging, wrinkles or sadly, to increase sex drive.

• Risks and benefits of hormone pills, patches, creams, gels and rings may all be the same.

Herbs and other natural products should be used with caution, although more open-minded doctors are happy for their patients to take them, and may even help with herbal choices. Research the latest studies to see if they may benefit you. If you are a breast cancer survivor and your tumor was estrogen positive, you mustn’t take anything containing estrogen – and that includes plant estrogens. Take care and read the small print!

Rebecca Prescott
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/understanding-menopausal-hormone-therapy-mrt-79332.html

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The Trouble With Sleeping

Going through menopause is difficult, and unfortunately, many of the problems that begin during perimenopause lead to one major problem—lack of sleep. Although you may not at first realize the connection, sleep deprivation, insomnia, and other night time troubles commonly begin with women in their forties and fifties, even when then have previously not suffered from sleeping problems. Many forces come together for menopausal women to make sleep difficult, so it is important to understand your symptoms so that you can treat them efficiently and get a better night’s sleep.

Night sweats are one of the most common causes of sleeping problems. The night-time version of hot flashes, night sweats can cause you to have trouble falling asleep or can wake you up while you are already sleeping. Restless leg syndrome is another common menopausal experience. This urge to move your legs comes with feelings of itchy, crawling, tugging sensations on your skin, which can make sleeping difficult for both you and your partner. Restless leg syndrome has roots in neurological problems. Mentally, another condition caused by changing hormone levels in your body is depression. This is especially true for women who are experiencing early menopause or surgically induced menopause.

The most serious sleep-related condition, however, is sleep apnea. While the symptoms of sleep apnea—such as snoring—may seem harmless, this problem effects your breathing and actually causes you to lapse into periods where you do not breath. There is a definite link between sleep apnea and menopause, so if you are told by your partner that you have recently begun to snore, it is a possibility that you suffer from this condition and you should immediately speak with your doctor. Sleep apnea can result in death due to heart attack or stroke.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, medication and surgery are the two best options to clear this problem. However, if you suffer from other menopausal conditions (i.e., night sweats, restless leg syndrome, and depression), there are many natural treatment options you can try before beginning a traditional medical treatment. Speak with your doctor, as always, to be sure these lifestyle changes are healthy for your body.

First and foremost, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. Dietary changes alone can improve your mood and cause other sleep problems to clear up, especially if you consider supplements of natural herbs. Continue your health-conscious changes by quitting bad habits, such as smoking and consuming excess amounts of alcohol. This will promote a healthier body overall. For depression, you may wish to speak with a professional therapist—depression could be caused by menopause, or you may have underlying problems that won’t be cleared up when your body adjusts to the hormonal changes. Also begin to de-stress your life. By relaxing during the day, you will find that you can rest better at night. And a no-brainer solution to night sweats? Sleep with a window open, put a fan on or an air conditioner.

If these natural changes do not help, or if your problems persist for more than a year, speak with your doctor, as these could be side effects of a more serious condition. Menopause is challenging, but it should not make your life unliveable—if you have problems sleeping at night, you will suffer twice as much from problems during the day, as you will be more tired and your immune system will be weakened. Get the help you need when you need it to make this transition in life as smooth as possible.

Kathryn Whittaker
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/the-trouble-with-sleeping-during-menopause-87280.html

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