How to Manage Menopause Mood Swings

It is important to distinguish mood swings or a depressed mood from clinical depression, which may result from reactions to life events or from brain chemical imbalances. Whereas depression causes symptoms that last for most of the day on most days, a depressed mood is more temporary and fleeting. However, mood swings may still cause considerable distress and loss of function. Declining estrogen levels around the time of menopause are responsible for a range of symptoms, including mood swings, and may cause women to experience frequent feelings of tearfulness and irritation. It is possible to manage menopausal mood swings by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and by seeking support to counter the adverse effects of estrogen decline.

Sleep

• Menopausal women may experience sleep problems due to symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Lack of sleep causes fatigue, irritability and lack of concentration, so it is important to address sleep problems as they arise. To manage night-time hot flashes, avoid triggers such as caffeine, alcohol, large meals and spicy foods. Wear clothing made from fabrics such as thin cotton, and choose bedding that also consists of cotton fabric rather than synthetic fibers. A fan may help keep the room cool. If night sweats are severe, consult your family doctor, who may recommend Menopausal Hormone Therapy, or MHT.

Nutrition

• Registered dietitian Cheryl Forberg at the Eating Well website recommends that menopausal women eat a diet that is rich in B vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids. A dietary lack of these essential nutrients may contribute to mood swings and depression. Whole grain foods, lean meat and lentils contain a range of B vitamins. Oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, and flax seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Exercise

• Regular aerobic activity of moderate intensity may help to lift a depressed mood because it triggers production of mood-boosting brain chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins. Regular exercise counteracts weight gain and may therefore improve mood by helping women maintain a positive body image. According to Dr. Audrey Henry, director of the Women's Unit at Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, exercise helps to reduce incidents of hot flashes in menopausal women and may also help to improve sleep.

Psychological Support

• Some women feel particularly isolated and lonely around the time of menopause due to factors such as divorce or children leaving home, or as a result of stresses posed by redundancy or aging parents. It is important to seek comfort and advice from supportive family member or friends, or healthcare professionals, or from menopause support groups, either online or in the community. Psychological support helps women realize that a frequently depressed mood is not absurd, abnormal or irrelevant. You may feel more relaxed and more able to manage your mood swings when you realize that a depressed mood is a commonplace and temporary consequence of natural physiological changes and life transitions.