5 Most Common Symptoms of Menopause

Hot Flashes

Is it hot in here or is it me? That feeling of intense heat is not caused by some external force. It’s a hot flash, which affects 75-85 percent of women around menopause, according to Sleep Foundation.org. Your body can feel like a furnace on overdrive: A sudden and unexpected feeling of intense heat, lasting between 30 seconds and 10 minutes, may begin in the upper part of your body, spreading its way down to your toes. What may follow: flushing of the face and neck, red blotches on your chest, back, and arms, profuse sweating followed by cold shivering. Hot flashes can be very mild or strong enough to wake you from your sleep (night sweats). Conventional medical wisdom says hot flashes fade within six to 24 months, but a 2014 JAMA study found they can persist for 14 years.

PS Productions/PhotoSpin

Sleep Disturbances

Hot flashes and sweating can make it tough to sleep, affecting your quality of rest. It’s no wonder, then, The National Sleep Foundation reports about 61 percent of menopausal women experience sleep problems, which can lead to other complications, such as daytime drowsiness. Wearing loose clothing made of natural fibers, like cotton, keeping your bedroom cool and well-ventilated, and avoiding certain foods that may cause sweating (like spicy foods) can help.

Kyrylo Ryzhov/PhotoSpin

Mood Swings

If you’re feeling happy one minute and sad and teary-eyed the next, it’s not your imagination. Unpredictable hormone fluctuations can cause mood swings or, in worse cases, depression. Experiencing severe PMS when you were younger can put you at greater risk of severe mood swings during menopause. Likewise, women with a history of clinical depression seem to be especially prone to recurring clinical depression during menopause.

Todd Arena/PhotoSpin

Vaginal Dryness

Due to a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, the thin layer of moisture coating the vaginal walls can become affected, causing vaginal dryness, which can result in itching, stinging, or burning. That dryness can cause the vagina to become less elastic or “stretchy,” too. The North American Menopause Society suggests washing the inner parts of your vulva with clean water, not soap, and using white, unscented toilet paper. Additionally, they suggest stopping the use of fabric softeners and anti-cling laundry products and any lotions and perfumed products on the inner vulva.

Elena Elisseeva/PhotoSpin

Painful Sex

Vaginal dryness can lead to pain during intercourse and penetration. There are various topical vaginal treatments to help ease discomfort, which include nonprescription, nonmedicated lubricants and moisturizers and prescription-only topical forms of estrogen therapy. The regular use of long-acting vaginal moisturizers along with regular vaginal sexual activity helps because it stimulates blood flow, keeps your vaginal muscles toned, and maintains your vagina’s length and stretchiness, according to The North American Menopause Society.