subject: Dealing With Menopause [print this page] Chances are your mother has told you a little about going the the change of life. She most likely told you that menopause symptoms - hot flashes in particular - can last many years but did she tell you that some of them never go away? Although most women never experience this, there are some that are plagued with some of the symptoms for the rest of their life.
Hot flashes and night sweats are probably the most common of all symptoms associated with menopause. Some women experience these to extremes. They have trouble sleeping at night and even have difficulty being active due to these hormone changes. Generally after the initial transition into menopause, most of these symptoms disappear.
Those who are not lucky enough to have their symptoms dissipate after the transition are destined to deal with them the rest of their lives. Some of them are easy to control with over-the-counter medications while others require prescriptions to control. Insomnia is one of those symptoms that you need a prescription for as well as some cases of vaginal dryness.
Vaginal dryness can be a problematic symptom. Many women who experience this are, unfortunately, destined to deal with it forever. This is a rare problem that usually never goes away. It begins as an itch that is very difficult to relieve and generally requires medication to control. This also makes having sexual intercourse very painful. In fact in most cases it becomes so painful that many women do not look forward to sexual activity and refrain from it altogether.
Some symptoms are simply annoying such as fatigue, anxiety, bloating, night sweats and hot flashes. These are usually short lived and do not need medicines. More serious indications like disorientation, memory loss, mood swings and incontinence may require the aid of a prescription to ease. Every woman tends to experience different degrees of severity with these symptoms. If yours becomes too bothersome, you should talk to your doctor about them.
Some women are put on hormone replacement therapy or HRT while transitioning into menopause. This type of treatment is not recommended for all patients. Most doctors try desperately not to start this treatment due to risks that are involved in replacing natural hormones with synthetic ones. There are other alternatives including natural remedies that can help ease the symptoms. They are recommended to most patients over unnatural ones.
Even though not all women experience the same symptoms, the fact remains that they will experience like symptoms throughout the transition period. They may come and go from time to time and some may even disappear altogether. If after the transitional period any symptoms remain, it is pretty safe to say that they will never go away.
Every woman in the world experiences some of the same menopause symptoms - hot flashes, night sweats and other annoying sensations. It is up to you and your doctor as to what course of treatment is best for you. Some may suggest HRT while others recommend a less risky method of treatment such as natural remedies. So if you experience symptoms of menopause contact your doctor and discuss a treatment that both of you can live with.
