Top 10 Menopause Symptoms.

Learn more about the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause!

Menopause is divided into three stages. The first stage is perimenopause, the period before menopause when menstruation becomes irregular. It can begin up to 10 years before the cessation of menstruation.

Menopause is the period when a woman has no menstruation for 12 consecutive months, typically around the age of 51-52.

The rest of your life is spent in the final stage: postmenopause. The symptoms of these stages vary for each woman and can affect many parts of the body.

Top 10 symptoms of menopause:

Hot flashes and night sweats.

Between 8 to 10 women experience night sweats during perimenopause. Perimenopause is when you start experiencing hormonal changes leading to menopause, usually in your 40s. This life stage can last up to 10 years. Hot flashes and night sweats, which healthcare professionals sometimes call “vasomotor symptoms (VMS),” are caused by changes in estrogen levels. VMS can also lead to sleep problems, another unwanted effect of menopause.

Breast tenderness.

Breast pain usually disappears after perimenopause when estrogen levels drop and remain low. Some women may also experience breast tenderness during pregnancy, and the underlying causes are the same: a decrease in estrogen levels.

Increased and unpredictable menstrual flow.

Your menstrual cycle may become longer and less predictable before it permanently stops. When perimenopause ends (usually around age 51 or 52 for most women), so do menstruations.

Mood swings.

Women report mood swings during perimenopause. These changes often resemble PMS (premenstrual syndrome). Some women experience mood disorders like depression or anxiety after menopause.

Sleep problems.

Even without hot flashes and night sweats, changes in estrogen levels can disrupt your natural sleep patterns. Sleep problems can also contribute to mood disturbances and may be at least partially responsible for memory issues in some women.

Migraines.

Fluctuations in estrogen levels can trigger migraine attacks before and after menopause. In contrast, if you had migraines before entering perimenopause, they may disappear after menopause.

Joint pain.

Loss of estrogen can also lead to joint pain. Pain can occur anywhere in the body and typically manifests after menopause.

Genitourinary Menopausal Syndrome (GSM).

GSM, sometimes called vaginal atrophy, tends to develop slowly over the years after menopause. It can lead to vaginal dryness, bladder issues, and changes in libido. This is common and treatable. If left untreated, it can continue to worsen several years after menopause.

Loss of bone density.

Subtle symptoms of estrogen loss begin years after menopause. Bone loss, or osteoporosis, can lead to fractures. Fractures in women over 50 can be debilitating. That’s why it’s important to take steps to prevent bone density loss. DEXA scanning, a bone density measurement, is recommended.

Increased risk of heart disease.

Even if you don’t have obvious symptoms, the risk of heart disease increases after menopause. It’s important to have regular check-ups, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and monitor cholesterol levels in the years after menopause.