Menopause is often a difficult time for many women, because of the symptoms that go along with it. These symptoms often include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and sometimes sexual issues. The severity of these symptoms can vary from mild to quite severe. Menopause generally occurs in women sometime between the ages of 48 to 55.

Menopause occurs when a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases. The accompanying hormonal changes result in the symptoms that accompany menopause, some of which are physical in nature, but there can also be emotional discomfort as well. Some of the indications that menopause may be about to start are irregular periods that vary between a heavy and light flow, as well as some of the other beginning symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes. The transitional stage that precedes actual menopause is called perimenopause. The age that perimenopause often starts is between 40 to 45. However, some women experience some of the beginning symptoms as early as age 35.

There may be some factors in a woman’s life that can cause the onset of menopause to occur earlier than normal. The environmental toxins that are present are sometimes thought to be a cause, as is stress, and smoking. Studies have shown that smoking often brings on perimenopause at least two or three years earlier than normal.

Some symptoms can be especially troubling and uncomfortable for some women, such as the hot flashes and night sweats. Hormonal changes in the body are responsible for these types of symptoms, and they can even cause sleeping problems in some women. Menopause symptoms, especially if they are severe, can increase a woman’s stress levels. There are also often changes in a woman’s libido levels during menopause. Hormone changes in the body can cause vaginal dryness and irritation, which can make sex painful. This often has the end result of reducing a woman’s desire for sex. Another factor that can enter into a woman’s sexual desire is the mood swings that are common during menopause.

In many cases, there is not a specific need for medical treatment for menopause, because it is simply part of the body’s natural aging process. However, when there are severe symptoms, there are types of prescribed medications that can help alleviate these symptoms. If symptoms are milder, women often choose to manage menopause by living a healthy life, reducing stress, and managing symptoms without medical treatments. Light exercise is often helpful, due to the physical benefits as well as stress reduction and mood enhancing benefits of exercise.

To help women deal with the symptoms of menopause, especially if they are severe, doctors sometimes prescribe various types of hormone replacement drugs. While these drugs can be effective for some women, they do have some negative side effects of their own, such as possibly water retention, and possibly even an increase in some symptoms. If a woman wishes to try either synthetic or natural hormone replacement therapy during menopause, she should discuss the options with her doctor.

The author writes on a variety of health topics and is especially interested in women’s health issues including menopause and perimenopause. Please visit Signs of Menopause Guide for additional information.