Signs of menopause start to occur due to the physical changes a woman experiences as she ages. In particular, it is due to the reduction in the levels of hormones - namely estrogen and progesterone - in her body. This decrease causes an irregularity in the menstrual cycle and the eventual end of the menstrual cycle all together.
The Menopause, or "change of life" as it is sometimes referred to (though that tends to be more from old text books) is an experience that most women will experience at some point in there lives. It originates from the Greek words which mean "to cease" or "to end" and "monthly" or "month". So in literal terms it means the end of the monthly menstrual cycle. On average, most women start to experience the early menopause symptoms during their early 50's, but it can start any where from early 40's to late 50's.
The symptoms and signs of menopause that each woman will encounter will likely be very different from person to person. Most women - about 80% if statistics are to be believed - experience very few menopause symptons other than their menstrual cycle coming to an end.
As your body ages (gracefully of course) it goes through a lot of changes - and at this stage in your life your body's production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone start to decline. It is this reduction in natural levels of the female hormones that brings about the menopausal symptoms and change of life.
If you think you are starting to go through the menopause, there are usually 3 clear signals or symptoms to watch out for. They are hot flashes, irregular periods and quite likely vaginal dryness. An irregular menstrual cycle is probably the first thing you'll notice. This could happen several months or even years before you experience the full onset of menopause, but is one of the classical early menopause symptoms.
Hot flashes are also quite likely, although the degree to which they affect you varies from woman to woman. A hot flash starts as a warm or hot feeling rising from your torso through your neck and up to your face. It can also cause your face to redden slightly as though you were blushing.
A hot flash can make you perspire - in some cases profusely - and may bring on headaches, dizziness and an increased heart rate (though it's nothing to be overly concerned with - it's usually just your heart trying to cope with the increase in blood flow). An effective method for dealing with hot flashes (or hot flushes depending on what part of the world you live in) is to help control your temperature by wearing several layers of clothing.
When you get hot, you can always take some layers off. A cool shower often works well, but depends if you're at home or have access to a shower. Drinking cool liquids (not necessarily cold, but nicely cool) usually has a very beneficial effect as well.
Vaginal dryness is another classic sign of menopause, though one less talked about. As your body is producing less female hormones (estrogen and progesterone), the side effect of this is to thin out the urinary tract and vaginal walls, which leaves the skin there even more delicate and susceptible to damage and infection. In some cases, this thinning can make sexual intercourse an uncomfortable and even painful experience.
There are many natural herbs for menopause that you can take to ease the symptoms, but one of the best remedies for the dryness is to use natural creams and/or lubricants like ky jelly, apricot or vitamin E oil. All of these will make having sex a much more pleasurable experience again (but unfortunately can't account for the performance of a partner!). There are other over the counter or prescription creams that your physician may also recommend, many of which contain extra estrogen.
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