http://www.amberen.com/menopause-101 Detailed article about the most common menopause symptoms: night sweats, hot flashes, irregular periods and loss of libido. see how you can manage and treat these menopausal symptoms
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Menopause Symptoms - Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, Irregular Periods and Loss of Libido
1. Menopause Symptoms –
Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, Irregular Periods & Loss of Libido
Middle-aged women must transition through menopause when
approaching the non-reproductive phase of life, a difficult
journey for a majority of the female population. Women of
this age are likely to experience a huge array of uncomfortable
side effects, ranging from painful headaches to irregular
periods. Hot Flashes and their cousin Night Sweats are also
among the most common symptoms of menopause, affecting
millions of women each year.
Menopause Symptom - Hot Flashes
Many women find themselves experiencing a huge array of uncomfortable and distressing side
effects with the onset of menopause. Menopause, the time of life when women transition into
non-reproductive ability, is accompanied often by intense episodes of mood swings, night
sweats, hot flashes and many other inhibiting conditions. The many side effects that are
associated with female middle age, when combined with one another, can produce massive
amounts of physical and emotional stress.
What are hot flashes and night sweats?
Hot flashes are among the most common symptoms of menopause, affecting millions of
women in the United States alone every year. Hot flashes and night sweats can sometimes
progress to such intensity that they inhibit you from completing daily tasks, and can also cause
2. embarrassing situations. This condition is characterized by sudden
and intense sensations of heat that usually begin in the inner
abdomen, then spread to envelop the entire body. Profuse
perspiration, an accelerated heartbeat and sudden bouts of anxiety
are the most common symptoms of hot flashes.
Night sweats are the nocturnal cousin of hot flashes,
characterized by many of the same symptoms but occurring late at
during sleep. Night sweats leave you awakening sweaty and cold
and often cause bouts of insomnia or disrupted sleep. Hot flashes
and night sweats, though they occur at different times of the day,
are usually caused by the same cause. The hormonal instability
that arises as a result of menopause causes these menopausal symptoms, , among many others.
What causes hot flashes
As menopause is a woman's loss of reproductive ability, the body begins to decrease its
production of estrogen during this time. Estrogen and other hormones are very influential within
the body, regulating many bodily functions and aspects of certain organs. One of the many
responsibilities of estrogen is to assist the regulation of the hypothalamus, the internal
thermometer of the body. When hormonal levels fluctuate, as they often do throughout
menopause, you sometimes experience intense sensations of heat due to the instability of the
hypothalamus.
How to treat hot flashes during menopause
Though both night sweats and hot flashes can prove
incredibly irritating and inhibiting, especially when
combined with the many other side effects commonly
associated with menopause, there are fortunately many
ways in which you can treat menopausal hot flashes. Most
experts recommend a combination of healthy lifestyle
adaptations and certain alternative methods. Thousands of
women have found this twofold process to be the most
efficacious and safest natural way to address hot flashes
and many other symptoms of hormonal transition.
Most women find that alterations to diet and exercise regularity are the most effective lifestyle
changes that can be made in an attempt to treat hot flashes, night sweats or any other
symptoms of menopause and hormonal instability. You should strive to eat a healthy and
balanced diet that consists of nutrient-rich foods, as well as eight glasses of water each day. This
will help to optimize the overall health of your body, resulting in far fewer episodes of hot
flashes and night sweats.
In addition to dietary changes, you also should exercise aerobically for at least a half hour each
day. Swimming, walking and jogging are among the best light aerobic activities you can
3. implement into your daily lifestyle. Relaxation activities are also integral to this method as they
reduce the overall amount of stress present within your body, rendering you much more able to
fend off the negative emotional and physical side effects of hormonal instability. By utilizing this
twofold method of alleviation, you will notice a definite decrease in the occurrence of hot flashes
during menopause. See more about hot flashes symptoms.
Menopause Symptom - Night Sweats
If you are a woman approaching middle age, you probably have already become acquainted with
many conditions and side effects that commonly accompany this period of life. Menopausal
symptoms include night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and d many others.
Menopause anxiety and weight gain are also fairly common side effects. Because many of these
side effects occur in conjunction with one another, many women feel quite overwhelmed and
unable to complete the most benign of daily tasks, resulting in huge amounts of stress, both
emotional and physical.
What are night sweats?
Night sweats are among the most common menopausal
symptoms and early menopause symptoms. The causes of
early menopause are not entirely known yet by the
scientific community, but it shares many of the same
characteristics of normal menopause. Night sweats are an
irritating condition, closely related to hot flashes. Night
sweats, put simply, are simply the nighttime equivalent of
the hot flashes many menopausal women are familiar with.
Both hot flashes and night sweats are easily identifiable.
Night sweats are characterized by frequent awakenings
at night, after which you find yourself drenched in
4. sweat and shivering from cold. This condition can become extremely annoying, resulting in
frequent sleep disruptions and even insomnia. Many women who suffer from this condition
during menopause feel helpless, never sleeping adequately and consequently suffering from
more side effects the following day.
Though both hot flashes and night sweats can be inhibiting and incredibly irritating, especially
when combined with the many other symptoms of hormonal instability you are li likely to
experience during menopause, there are many ways in which you can treat night sweats safely
and naturally.
What causes night sweats during menopause?
Menopause marks a woman's transition into the non-reproductive phase of life, where estrogen
and other female hormones are not nearly as important. As a result, the body begins to greatly
reduce its production of estrogen and other hormones during this time, creating fluctuations in
your hormonal levels. Estrogen especially is a very influential chemical within the body,
regulating many bodily functions. It should therefore come as no surprise that unstable hormonal
levels can cause so many uncomfortable side effects
to arise.
Among the many responsibilities of estrogen is to
influence the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is
the regulatory section of the brain that controls
temperature and the production of sweat. When
estrogen levels fluctuate, the hypothalamus
experiences miscommunications that trigger the
overproduction of heat and perspiration. When this
occurs during night, you experience an episode of night sweats.
Night sweats and hot flashes are generally very benign conditions of hormonal transition and
should thus be met with little concern or worry. They are incredibly common among middle-
aged women and are almost never indicative of anything more serious than menopause or
hormonal instability. Hot flashes and night sweats can, however, manifest as symptoms of
another health condition n when they occur often or excessively. Though uncommon, night sweats
can arise as one of the many symptoms of ovarian cancer.
If you feel as though your night sweats are occurring
abnormally or excessively, you may find it beneficial
to speak with a physician or doctor, as they will be
able to better direct your treatment. Though night
sweats are almost never indicative of a serious medical
condition, a doctor will be able to nevertheless suggest
effective treatment methods. Be wary, however, of
pharmaceutical options, as many of these have been
proven dangerous and are usually quite costly. You
5. should strive to implement strictly natural remedies, which work just as well as their synthetic
counterparts and are accompanied by no serious side effects as pharmaceutical options are.
See more about night sweats treatment or night sweats symptoms.
Menopause Symptom – Irregular Periods
Menopause is a time when many uncomfortable symptoms arise, as it signifies your transition as
a woman into the non-reproductive part of life. The many symptoms of menopause can,
especially when combined, create feelings of helplessness and hopelessness within those who
suffer from intense forms of its symptoms and side effects. Fortunately, irregular periods and
many other symptoms of menopause can be effectively treated. The elimination of even one
menopausal side effect can create a much easier transition.
What are irregular periods during menopause?
To understand menopause irregular periods, you must first comprehend the mechanics of
menopause itself. Menopause is a woman's transition from reproductive ability to non-
reproductive life. Thus, the body begins to sharply decrease its production of estrogen and other
female hormones, and increases its production of testosterone, the major male hormone. Because
of these wildly fluctuating hormonal levels, menopausal women experience a huge array of
symptoms and side effects that are often uncomfortable, embarrassing and sometimes painful.
Irregular periods spotting is just one of many symptoms of hormonal transition.
Irregular periods are characterized by spontaneous and often heavy-flow menstrual cycles that
begin and conclude without regularity. The volume of blood release during irregular periods also
varies, often alternating between very heavy flow and barely any bleeding at all.
Irregular periods can be burdening for menopausal women, especially when combined with the
many other side effects associated with hormonal transition. If you have experienced heavy
irregular periods during menopause, you already are aware of the awful spontaneity and
unknowing that accompanies this symptom. Women who suffer from this symptom must always
carry with them tampons and pads in case their menstrual cycle begins randomly, and they are
6. very accustomed to ruining underwear.
Randomly commencing periods during menopause can be a very distressing symptom, but they
fortunately can be treated effectively through simple and safe treatment methods.
How to treat irregular periods during menopause
Because irregular periods are caused by hormonal fluctuations and a lack of estrogen within the
body, you must address these imbalances when trying to alleviate this symptom. This can be
accomplished effectively through safe methods that entail only simple alterations to your
lifestyle and daily routine. You also must remember that pre menopause irregular periods are
common, as well as irregular periods during pregnancy.
1) Diet
Eat from a diet rich in essential nutrients and vitamins, especially calcium and vitamins A, C and
D. You also should add more soy to your diet, as soy products contain phytoestrogen, a natural
form of estrogen. Eliminating fatty, sugary and caffeinated foods and beverages from your daily
routine also will prove beneficial.
Through implementing these simple changes to your diet, you will notice an immediate reduction
in the intensity and frequency of irregular periods during menopause, as they promote hormonal
stability and a greater amount of estrogen within your body.
2) Exercise
To promote hormonal balance during menopause, you should strive to perform a regimen of
regular physical activity that includes a half hour of aerobic exercise every day. Jogging and
swimming are possible choices for activities, but you should pause if you feel your heart rate has
excessively accelerated. These activities can be supplemented with techniques that reduce stress,
like meditation and yoga.
Not only will these techniques melt away accumulated stress, they also promote stable hormonal
levels. Most women have found that a culmination of regular exercise and healthy dietary
choices is, by far, the safest and most efficacious method to avoid the occurrence of irregular
periods during menopause.
7. During Menopausal Irregular r Periods Say No to these foods
Sugars, caffeine, carbohydrates, spicy or greasy foods will accentuate irregular periods and in
general is indicated to keep away from these foods while in menopause.
8. Menopause Symptom - Loss of Libido
Menopause is an uncertain time for women, punctuated by many strange side effects that can
induce worry and discomfort. Among the many symptoms of menopause you are likely to
experience throughout middle age is a general loss of libido, a symptom caused by hormonal
instability and the transition toward the non-reproductive part of female life. Though a lacking
libido mostly affects women of menopausal age, loss of libido after menopause is also incredibly
common. Whether you are experiencing a low sex drive as a result of menopause,
perimenopause or post-menopause, there are many ways in which you can alleviate this
problem naturally and safely.
What causes loss of libido during menopause?
The many symptoms that arise as a result of menopause are caused generally by the same culprit.
Menopause signifies s the end of a woman's reproductive ability, where estrogen and other
important female hormones are not as necessary. The body consequently begins to significantly
slow its production of estrogen and progesterone. Because these chemicals are so influential and
important within the body, imbalanced levels of hormones can trigger the development of many
menopausal symptoms, , including loss of libido.
Although menopause loss of libido is the most common manifestation of the condition, it also
can affect those of perimenopausal or postmenopausal age. Early menopause loss of libido is
characterized by many of the same side effects, but generally is not as frequent or intense. Post
menopause loss of libido is also common, which is caused by the same culprit, but is also not as
prevalent.
Treating libido loss
If you have experienced loss of libido to any degree during menopause, you are likely already
aware of the consequences that can arise as a result of this condition. Strained intimate
relationships and feelings of inadequacy may not be physically detrimental but are definitely
stressful and saddening. Fortunately, there is an extremely effective way to approach libido loss
9. and many other symptoms of menopause. This method is completely natural, safe and requires
little, if any, money.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle adaptations and alternative medicines must be combined to achieve maximum
efficacy. Although both of these are effective on their own, much research has concluded that
this twofold method most successfully decreases the occurrence of lost libido and other common
symptoms associated with menopause and hormonal instability.
More exercise, a healthier diet and the implementing of relaxation exercises are all
improvements you can make to your daily lifestyle to reduce your chances of developing
menopausal side effects. These alterations work by promoting the overall health of your body
and stabilizing hormonal levels, even stimulating the production of estrogen and progesterone.
By utilizing these simple lifestyle changes, you will notice a definite decrease in the occurrence
of your menopausal side effects, namely libido loss. Not only will you have a more tolerable
hormonal transition, but you also will live longer and healthier.
Alternative Medicines
Alternative medicines are similarly effective, but must be combined with lifestyle changes for
full effectiveness. Hypnosis, aromatherapy and acupuncture are but a few examples of alternative
remedies you can implement. Though many women find these methods primarily gimmicky,
they actually address hormonal instability very well, though researchers are unsure of the exact
mechanics.
Loss of libido during menopause can prove to be stressful and emotionally detrimental,
especially when it occurs alongside the many other side effects and conditions you are likely to
procure throughout hormonal transition. Elimination or alleviation of this condition to any
degree will allow for a much more tolerable menopausal experience. If you are at all concerned
regarding your lack of libido, you should consider obtaining the opinion of a doctor or physician,
as they will be able to better direct your treatment.
List of 35 Menopausal Symptoms
Aching Joints and Muscular Issues Development of Osteoporosis
Anxiety Difficulty Concentrating
Breast Pain Digestive Problems
Brittle Fingernails Dizziness
Burning Mouth Syndrome Electric Shock Sensations
Changes in Body Odor Fatigue or Low Energy
Decreased Libido Gum Problems
Depression Hair Loss
Headaches Hot Flashes
Urinary Incontinence Increased Tension in Muscles
Irregular Periods Irritability
Itchy Skin Memory Lapses
Mood Swings Night Sweats
Paranoia or Dread Rapid Heart Beat
Ringing in the Ears Sleep Disorders
Tingling Extremities Vaginal Dryness
Weight Gain Allergies