Common Menopause Symptoms

Menopause is the term given to the end of a woman's fertility, characterized by the absence of menstrual periods for one year. The Mayo Clinic reports the average age at which women experience menopause is 51, though its symptoms can begin before periods actually stop.

Causes

• All of menopause's symptoms occur because of a drop in levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are decreasing at this time.

Hot Flashes and Sleep

• During menopause, three out of four women experience hot flashes, characterized by a sudden sensation of being overheated that travels across the face and upper body. Hot flashes often strike at night, exacerbating other sleep disturbances that often occur during menopause.

Emotions and Sexual Function

• Many women experience mood swings or depression during menopause because of imbalanced hormones. In addition, some women report a decreased interest in sex, which is exacerbated by vaginal dryness that frequently accompanies menopause.

Bodily Changes

• During menopause, the female body's shape often changes, becoming thicker in the abdominal area while breast fullness decreases. In addition, some women experience thinning hair.

Solution

• Doctors prescribe a number of medicines to combat the symptoms of menopause for women whose quality of life declines because of the transition. They include low dose estrogen replacement, antidepressants, Neurontin, Clonidine and vaginal estrogen cream.