subject: A Short Glimpse At Menopause: Realizing The Signals And Ways To Deal With It [print this page] With all women, usually between the ages of 45 and 55, we go through what is a natural stage of progression in our lives, called menopause. The word itself use to be one that women did not talk about, like it was some sort of "secret journey", that no one wanted to mention, making the woman feel isolated and confused about what was "happening" to her body. Anxiety and frustration, being the key emotions to deal with, and nowhere to turn for help.
As women, going through this time, especially in the 1970's, women started to address menopause and other stifled issues, an explosion of help became readily available, especially with the introduction of technology and computers. The floodgates of information, as well as, forums became available, so that women could "talk about" the changes in their bodies, having more understanding and no longer feeling alone.
With the ending of the reproductive years, as in menopause, some women actually look forward to this significant time in they're lives, while others consider it to be a sign of aging.
One of the most annoying aspect of menopausal symptoms has to do with hot flashes. About 60% of all women experience hot flashes, some cases being worse than others. A hot flash is described as a sudden overwhelming feeling of heat, radiating from the mid-back on up to the head and often it can be accompanied by reddening skin and sweating. Some of the most intense hot flashes are the ones that happen at night, also known as night sweats. These can happen as early as ten years before menopause. They are usually so intense that they disrupt normal sleeping patterns. Also, they can be accompanied by nausea, migraine headaches, chills and flushing sensations.
Other various menopausal symptoms can include lower grade headaches, with a sudden onset, and heart palpitations. Some women have reported feeling very fatigued, others a thinning of hair, and in extreme cases, the hair, actually falling out. This can be rather upsetting to the many who have these symptoms, for they fear a loss of their youth, along with their vanity. Pain and tenderness around the breasts and aching sore joints are common, as well as feelings of light-hotheadedness and or dizziness. Weight gain is usually more prominent, at this time, especially around the mid-section, leaving many women with an apple shape.
It is rather unfortunate, to not be able to guess exactly how long the symptoms of menopause will last, which can be anywhere from a few years to as much as 10 years. Every woman is different and many of them experience the symptoms, as their mothers would have, making it a very good options to discuss their experiences with the older women in their life and family, along with their physician and women issues networks. There are a lot of women's groups to help each other, these days, all one needs to do is the research and join, and many of their questions, about this passage in their lives, can be answered.
In today's times, menopause needs not be a secret journey, that one encounters alone anymore, by understanding the many symptoms that may be experienced, and treating them, we gain a greater insight, and are able to help other women as they are going through "the change".
