Menopause and What To Expect

No one is ever really ready for menopause but it is a natural occurrence that most every woman will experience at some point in their lives. When menopause actually begins varies greatly among different women. Menopause can start as early as your 30s or as late as your 60s, but the average is approximately 51 years of age. For smokers there is a chance that you will reach menopause a couple of years earlier than the average age of 51.

If you are curious of when this time will come for you, one clue is the age in which your mother reached menopause. This is often a good indicator of when you, yourself will begin to experience menopause symptoms. But what are menopause symptoms?

One of the most telling symptoms of the onset of menopause is, hot flashes and night sweats. Another common symptom is bouts of rapid heart beat. If you do begin to experience a rapid heart rate, seek the advice of your doctor; he may want to run tests to ensure that you are not experiencing symptoms of something more serious.

Mood swings, sometimes severe, is another problem that is commonly associated with the onset of menopause. You may at this point find that you are having problems with bladder control as well as weight gain. It is not uncommon for the symptoms of menopause to get to the point where you feel you cannot cope with them.

If you feel you are experiencing some or all of these problems, a visit to your doctor may be in order.  Your doctor will want to run some tests to see if indeed -- the hormone level in your blood is decreasing. In addition to running some tests, your doctor may have some ideas to help you cope with this change more easily.

If you feel like you may be starting to experience menopause, do not be alarmed; remember that it is a natural process, just as natural as pregnancy. Educating yourself about the changes of menopause will better enable you to cope with these changes. Read all that you can about it and talk to your doctor if you have any questions, he is undoubtedly the best person to seek advice from.

Depression is another common problem that may accompany menopause, which is brought about by the many changes in your body, along with some physiological aspects of the change. Some women may feel that because they can no longer have children they have become less of a person, or the hormonal changes may be so severe as to bring on depression. In either case there are ways to get help. If you find that you are feeling depressed, don't keep it to yourself, tell your doctor.

These changes are inevitable, but they won't last forever. You may just find that once it is over that you feel more lighthearted and free, but be aware that these changes can take a few years to complete. In the meantime, learning to cope with the symptoms will make the experience much easier to deal with.

Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial or legal advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.