Living With Menopause

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her body begins to change as the ovaries start to shut down. When the ovaries shut down there is also the shutting down of progesterone and estrogen in a woman’s life. Menstruation will start to diminish and end during this shutting down of the ovaries. Menopause occurs at a different age for all women, although the general age is from 50 to 54.

Menopause is the part of a woman's normal aging process and it will happen to all who haven't had their uterus and ovaries surgically removed. If this is the case, premature menopause will occur. In some cases, only the uterus is taken out and the ovaries are left. Under these circumstances, there are no immediate menopausal symptoms, since the patient is still receiving the hormones mentioned above.

There are many symptoms of menopause that a woman may not at first be aware of. As the ovaries produce less and less progesterone and estrogen the menstrual cycle will be affected. The menstrual cycle will become unpredictable as one month the flow is heavy and the next month the flow may be only a day or two of spotting.

There are a number of symptoms that start manifesting as she begins to enter the various phases of menopause: (1) hot flashes (2) irritability (3) sweating at odd times (4) sleep disturbances (5) vaginal dryness that can lead to sexual and urinary discomfort (6) mood swings that may include anger and depression. (7) hair growth on the face, arms, chest and stomach (8) memory problems and difficulty with concentration (9) low frustration level, affecting her whole mood.

There are many things that a woman can do to ease the way her body reacts to menopause. One of the best things that a woman can do is to be as well informed about menopause as she can. The more information that a woman has the better she will be able to understand what is happening, therefore not feeling so alone in the changes that are taking place in her body.

A well balanced diet and an exercise program are vital in minimizing the effects of menopause. When a woman who is experiencing menopause takes care of her body through good nutrition she has a better chance of experiencing minimal symptoms of menopause. Vitamins and minerals taken as supplements are also an important part of easing the symptoms of menopause. Some women who are experiencing severe menopause may need to think about hormone replacement therapy to help ease the symptoms. It is important that menopausal woman contact their doctors on a regular basis so that they can be aware of any physical changes in their body that are not menopause related. It may be of benefit for some women to join some type of support group to help them deal with the changes to their lives as they learn to live with menopause.

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Lindsay Hurst is the webmaster for A Menopause, a fantastic resource for information about Menopause, For more articles on Menopause why not visit: www.amemenopause.com/articles
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