The list of medical symptoms mentioned in various sources for Menopause may include:
Note that Menopause symptoms usually refers to various medical symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Menopause signs may often refer to those signs that are only noticable by a doctor.
The transformation into the beauty of mid life usually doesn't happen all at once. In perimenopause, or the transition period to menopause, the production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate, causing a variety of symptoms, including hot flashes and mood swings. During this time, a woman may or may not have a period. (Source: excerpt from Menopause: NWHIC)
While many women have little or no trouble with menopause, others have moderate to severe discomfort. Some women may experience troublesome symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. Hot flashes, caused by fluctuating hormones, have become the hallmark symptom of menopause. Hot flashes are a sudden flush or warmth, often followed by sweating. This is caused by hormonal changes and their effect on your body's natural regulation of its temperature. It is good to try to have a sense of humor as you constantly feel the need to shed clothing to cool off, but in fact hot flashes can cause serious discomfort and sleepless nights for some women.
Other classic symptoms of menopause that you might experience:
Sleep problems;
Depression and mood swings;
Vaginal problems, including vaginal dryness and irritation that can cause pain during intercourse and gynecological exams, as well as frequent vaginal infections;
Urinary problems, including burning or pain when urinating, or stress incontinence, the weakening of tissues in the urinary tract which causes urine to leak when sneezing, coughing, or laughing;
Memory loss;
Changes in sex drive and sexual response;
Weight gain;
Hair loss; or
"Spotting" and abnormal bleeding (usually normal, but should be reported to your doctor).
Some women find that they gain weight or that their hair thins after menopause. Some symptoms, such as memory problems or feeling sad could have causes that are unrelated to menopause. If you are having these symptoms, it is important to discuss them with your health care provider. And although changes in bleeding are normal as you near menopause, abnormal bleeding should also be reported to your health care provider, since this could be a sign of other problems.
A lack of estrogen during menopause also causes the bones to lose calcium and become weaker, putting women at risk for severe bone loss or osteoporosis. (Before menopause, you need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day. After menopause, you need 1,500 per day.) A lack of estrogen also causes an increased risk of developing heart disease. (Source: excerpt from Menopause: NWHIC)
Although very rare before the age of 40, menopause can happen anytime from your 30’s to your mid-50’s or even later. Smokers often begin menopause earlier than non-smokers. If you have both ovaries removed (bilateral oophorectomy) during a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), you may have the symptoms of menopause right away, no matter your age. Once your uterus is removed, your periods will stop. (Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
The event that marks menopause is your final menstrual period. You will know for sure that you have experienced menopause when you have not had a period in a year. Only then can you be sure that you are no longer able to get pregnant. (Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause a variety of
symptoms. You may have little or no trouble with hot flashes or other
signs of menopause. Some women, however, have slight discomfort or worse.
Common changes you might have are:
Irregular periods.
One of the first signs is a change in your
periods. They may become less regular. They could be lighter. Some women
have short times of heavy bleeding. These are all fairly common. Very
heavy bleeding for many days, periods less than 3 weeks apart, periods
that last longer than 10 days, or spotting between periods may also
happen. Check with your doctor if you find any of this
troublesome.
Hot flashes.A hot flash or flush is common in perimenopause. Possibly 80 % of American women have them. Suddenly you feel heat in the upper part or all of your body. Your face and neck become flushed. Red blotches may appear on your chest, back, and arms. Heavy sweating and cold shivering can follow. Flashes can be as mild as a light blush or severe enough to wake you from a sound sleep (called night sweats). Most flashes last 30 seconds to 5 minutes. They should disappear within a few years after menopause.
Problems with the vagina and bladder. Body tissue in the genital area becomes drier and thinner as estrogen levels change. Sexual intercourse might become painful for you because of this dryness. You might also be more likely to have an infection in your vagina. As you get older, you may begin to have urinary tract problems. These could be more infections, trouble holding urine when you feel the need to go to the bathroom (urge incontinence), or problems holding urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh, run, or step down (stress incontinence). If you have any of these problems, see your doctor.
Sex.Until you have gone 1 year without a period, you should still use birth control if you do not want to become pregnant. Around the time of menopause, your feelings about sex might change. You might have trouble becoming sexually aroused because of hormone changes, discomfort due to changes in the vagina, or medicines you are taking. Or, you might feel freer and sexier after menopause---relieved that pregnancy is no longer a worry. Remember that after menopause you can still get sexually-transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Fatigue and sleep problems. Feeling tired is another common symptom. You might have trouble getting to sleep, waking early, or getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. Women may be awakened by night sweats or the need to go to the bathroom.
Mood changes.Some people think that women may be more moody, irritable, or depressed around the time of menopause. There might be a connection between changes in the estrogen level and your emotions. Other causes for these mood shifts might be stress, family changes such as children leaving home, and feeling tired.
Changes in your body. Visible changes with menopause may include a thickening at the waist, loss of muscle mass and increase in fat tissue, or thinning and loss of stretchiness in the skin.
(Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)Other possible signs.Some women may experience headaches, memory problems, and joint and muscle stiffness or pain.
More detailed symptom information may be found on the symptoms of Menopause article. In addition to the above medical information, to get a full picture of the possible signs or symptoms of this condition and also possibly the signs and symptoms of its related medical conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by:
These general reference articles may be related to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
The phrase "signs of Menopause" should, strictly speaking, refer only to those signs and symptoms of Menopause that are not readily apparent to the patient. The word "symptoms of Menopause" is the more general meaning; see symptoms of Menopause.
The signs and symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Menopause. This medical information about signs and symptoms for Menopause has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Menopause signs or Menopause symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Menopause may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Menopause symptoms.
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
As people age, there are lots of changes. Some are welcome, like retirement and a chance to pursue new activities. But then there are some changes...
While menopause is a natural change for all women, it can cause a variety of symptoms that feel anything but natural. One of the most common...
Most women assume that they already know the ABCs of osteoporosis. But with 10 million cases of this disease in the U.S. alone, there's no doubt...
Theoretically, osteoporosis can strike anyone who has bones in their body, which is all of us. But certain people are at a higher risk, and...