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The first thing to know about menopause is that it is neither a disease nor an illness, but is rather a completely normal phase of development that every woman eventually goes through. The purpose of this phase is to mark the time when menstruation and fertility of the woman begins to decrease. Although menopause should never be considered to be an illness, it is still advisable that women dealing with the symptoms of menopause speak with a doctor regarding treatment of these symptoms. This is because the symptoms of menopause can become severe and they are also capable of impacting the daily life of the woman as well. Menopause is capable of causing anxiety, sleeplessness, depression and numerous other symptoms that are capable of having long term and potentially negative impacts. Unfortunately, there are less easily treatable but still irritating symptoms of menopause that can impact you such as mood swings and hot flashes as well. If you are dealing with any of the primary symptoms of menopause and you are having difficulties coping, then you should visit your doctor to ask for help and to find out what treatment options you have available to you. The average onset for the symptoms of menopause is between 45 and 55 years of age, at least in the United States. In other countries, the onset of the symptoms of menopause may actually be even earlier. For most of the women that are going through natural menopause, this phase is defined as existing the first day that your last period has ended. After a year of having no periods, you are considered to be infertile, and should no longer have to worry about getting pregnant. When it comes to menopause, there are actually a lot of unknowns, such as why some women have much more severe symptoms in comparison to other women. Women who smoke typically enter menopause much sooner than those who do not. Some women experience a phase known as the perimenopause or pre-menopause transitional phase. This phase typically begins in the mid 40s to late 40s. The symptoms here are the same as the symptoms of menopause but they are usually less severe. In most cases, this perimenopausal phase is simply the entrance into the stage of menopause. Some of the most common symptoms of menopause include:- Irregular bleeding, spotting and irregular periods,
- Vaginal dryness,
- Loss of sexual drive,
- Pain during intercourse,
- Hot flashes,
- Incontinence,
- Moodiness,
- Night Sweats,
- Sleeplessness,
- Anxiety,
- Muscle Soreness,
- Memory Loss,
- Exhaustion,
- Heart Palpitations,
- Thinning of the hair,
- Osteoporosis,
- Problems with the stomach,
- Loss of memory.
Knowing the symptoms of menopause is a big step of understanding the processes that your body is going through during the menopause phase. 2011-10-02
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