What are the symptoms of menopause?

The symptoms of menopause can be divided into early and late onset symptoms. Early symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, and mood changes. Late symptoms include vaginal dryness and irritation, osteoporosis, and heart disease. These symptoms are discussed in detail below:

Early Onset Symptoms (Perimenopause)

Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding

Abnormal vaginal bleeding may occur during menopause. Some women have minimal problems with abnormal bleeding during perimenopause whereas others have unpredictable, excessive bleeding. In general, menstrual periods (menses) at first occur more frequently (meaning the cycle shortens in duration), and subsequently get farther and farther apart (meaning the cycle lengthens in duration) until they stop. It is also common for women in perimenopause to get a period after going for several months without one. There is also no set length of time it takes for a woman to complete her menopausal transition, as all women are different. It is important to remember that all women who develop irregular menses should be evaluated by her doctor to confirm that the irregular menses are due to menopause and not as a sign of another medical illness.

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are common among women undergoing menopause. A hot flash is a feeling of warmth that spreads over the body. A hot flash is sometimes associated with flushing and is sometimes followed by perspiration. The cause of hot flashes is not completely understood; they may be due to fluctuations in hormone levels. There is currently no method to predict when hot flashes will begin and how long they will last in a given woman. Hot flashes can occur in menstruating women in their forty's. Hot flashes in some women can last decade(s). There is no way to predict when hot flashes will cease in a given woman, though they tend to decrease in frequency over time. Hot flashes on average last about 5 years. For more, please read the Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes article.

Mood Symptoms

There is considerable controversy about exactly which behavior symptoms are due directly to menopause. Moodiness and irritability seem to be linked with menopause, but other symptoms are less clear. The research has been difficult for many reasons. First, mood symptoms are so common to begin with that it is sometimes difficult in a given woman to know if they are due to menopause. Also, to further complicate matters, women can suffer from significant fatigue that may aggravate moodiness. Many other symptoms that women associate with menopause, such as mood swings, could actually be linked with the sleep disturbance itself. Research is now trying to determine what factors can influence mood symptoms during menopause. Factors that have been suspected and are being analyzed for their impact on menopausal mood symptoms include education level, exercise level, familial support system, and history of depression.