What are the symptoms of the menopause?
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Signs and symptoms\nEvery woman experiences menopause differently. Even the age at which menopause begins may be unique to you. Some women reach menopause in their 30s or 40s, and some not until their 60s, but menopause most often occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.\n\nYour signs and symptoms also are likely to be very individual. You may breeze through menopause with few signs and symptoms. Or you may experience a number of physical and emotional changes, including:\n\nIrregular periods. Your menstrual periods may stop suddenly, or gradually get lighter or heavier and then stop. The unpredictability of your periods may be your first clue that menopause is approaching. \nDecreased fertility. When ovulation begins to fluctuate, you're less likely to become pregnant. Until you haven't had a period for a year, however, pregnancy is still possible. \nVaginal and urinary changes. As your estrogen level declines, the tissues lining your vagina and urethra — the opening to your bladder — become drier, thinner and less elastic. With decreased lubrication you may experience burning or itching, along with increased risk of infections of your urinary tract or vagina. These changes may make sexual intercourse uncomfortable or even painful. You may feel the need to urinate more frequently or more urgently, and you may experience urinary incontinence. \nHot flashes. As your estrogen level drops, your blood vessels may expand rapidly, causing your skin temperature to rise. This can lead to a feeling of warmth that moves upward from your chest to your shoulders, neck and head. You may sweat, and as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you may feel chilled, weak and slightly faint. Your face might look flushed, and red blotches may appear on your chest, neck and arms. Most hot flashes last from 30 seconds to several minutes, although they can last much longer. The frequency, as well as the duration, of hot flashes varies from person to person. You may have them once every hour or only occasionally. They can occur any time during the day or night. They may be a part of your life for a year or more, or you may never have them. \nSleep disturbances and night sweats. Night sweats are often a consequence of hot flashes. You may awaken from a sound sleep with soaking night sweats followed by chills. You may have difficulty falling back to sleep or achieving a deep, restful sleep. Lack of sleep may affect your mood and overall health. \nChanges in appearance. Many women gain a modest amount of weight — about 5 pounds on average — during the menopausal transition. The fat that once was concentrated in your hips and thighs may settle above your waist and in your abdomen. You may notice a loss of fullness in your breasts, thinning hair and wrinkles in your skin. If you previously experienced adult acne, it may become worse. Although your estrogen level drops, your body continues to produce small amounts of the male hormone testosterone. As a result, you may develop coarse hair on your chin, upper lip, chest and abdomen. \nEmotional and cognitive changes. You may experience irritability, fatigue, decreased memory and diminished concentration as you approach menopause. These symptoms have sometimes been attributed to hormonal fluctuations. Yet other factors are more likely to contribute to these changes, including sleep deprivation and stressful life events — such as the illness or death of a parent, grown children leaving home or returning home, and retirement. \n\nComplications\nSeveral chronic medical conditions tend to appear after menopause. By becoming aware of the following conditions, you can take steps to help reduce your risk:\n\nCardiovascular disease. At the same time your estrogen levels decline, your risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women as well as in men. Yet you can do a great deal to reduce your risk of heart disease. These risk-reduction steps include stopping s
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premenstrual syndrome (PMS), any of various symptoms experienced by women of childbearing age in the days immediately preceding menstruation. It is most common in women in their twenties and thirties. Some 70%–90% of menstruating women are said to have PMS on a cyclical basis. There are over 150 symptoms associated with the syndrome, including behavioral changes, eating binges, moodiness, irritability, fatigue, fluid retention, breast tenderness, and headaches. Some women have mild symptoms; others have symptoms that interfere with work or home life. A few are completely incapacitated, a condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The symptoms vary from woman to woman, and each woman's symptoms may vary from month to month, making diagnosis difficult.\nThe exact cause is unknown. Hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and neurotransmitter (serotonin and norepinephrine) fluctuations are being studied. PMS patients who have had hysterectomies may continue to have symptoms, but the symptoms in all patients disappear with menopause. There is no cure for PMS. In some women, dietary changes and exercise provide some relief through the loss of water weight, the alleviation of stress, and an increase in the production of endorphins. Antidepressants or antianxiety drugs are sometimes prescribed. In severe cases hormones that induce a premature menopause may be administered.
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Complete female baldness is actually rather rare, women usually suffer from hair loss, resulting in thin hair . \nThe most common causes: temporary metabolic problems associated with pregnancy, unusual stress, chemotherapy, crash diets/anorexia, thyroid hormone deficiency, major surgery, severe infection, high fever, certain drugs). This is usually temporary and reverses itself over time as the situation is alleviated. \nAnd then there is "Female Pattern Hair Loss" which usually happens around menopause. The reason that women experience hair loss during and after menopause is that their estrogen levels decline.
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When you say symptoms of menopause...I assume you mean hot flashes. This very likely is not menopause and could be due to a host of other causes. There is a simple blood test called an FSH level, however, that you could ask your doctor to run that would effectively rule that out.
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You don't have to be miserable and suffer with the symptoms!\n\nThere are TWO versions of Hormone Replacement Therapy:\n1. The synthetic version that all doctors are prescribing for women. This is killing us, and I refuse to take any part in it!\n2. NATURAL (or bio-identical) HRT.\n\nA NATURAL progesterone cream will help you handle all the nasties of menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, dryness, depression, weight gain...\n\nAt this stage, your ovaries are closing up shop. \nThis is where the majority of your progesterone production takes place. As soon as you no longer ovulate, you no longer produce progesterone.\n\nALL post-menopausal women are progesterone deficient. NOT all are estrogen deficient. About 2/3's of women have enough estrogen stored in their fat cells to last them well into their 80's! Your body does not, however, store progesterone. \n\nMenopausal symptoms rear their ugly head because we no longer have enough progesterone to balance out our estrogen.  When you supplement with natural progesterone, which is identical to what your body used to produce, you will see amazing results. I have seen literally hundreds of women get their life back.\n\nDO NOT accept the synthetic HRT treatment from your doctor!!!
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My ex wife started in her late 30's, yes.......It'ds called "early menopause". She had mood swings, hot flashes, etc. Go to your doctor and  discuss  your symptoms with him. He will tell you for sure. Good Luck, and stay COOL, when you can, lol.
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No menstrual cycle for a month or two.  Swollen breasts.\nMorning sickness.
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WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE?\n\nPerimenopause, or pre-menopause is a transitional stage of two to ten years before complete cessation of the menstrual period. Its average duration is six years, and can appear in women from 35 to 50 years of age. This has not been a stage of women's lives much talked about, and a woman can find herself experiencing puzzling changes, and not know why. What is actually going on is a gradual decrease of estrogen. The manifestations of perimenopause can vary. Here are some of the most commonly reported ones:\n\nHOME\n \n\nSIGNS OF PERIMENOPAUSE\n\nThe following are symptoms women have reported. This information is not intended as a substitute for talking with your health professional.\n\nMenstrual cycles become shorter, longer, or unpredictable\n\nFlow becomes heavier or lighter\n\nLow blood sugar\n\nFatigue several days before menstruation\n\nWeight gain\n\nDecreased sex drive\n\nHeadaches - from mild to migraines with aura and visual distortions\n\nDry and/or itchy vulva, clitoris\n\nIncreased incidence of yeast infections
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Yes, you should see a doctor.  Vaginal bleeding after menopause might be a sign of something serious that needs treatment.
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If it is truly menopause then unfortunately yes. Menopause starts when the body stops producing eggs and the hormones to support pregnancy. At least that is what I understand it to be. I would go to a dr. immediately and see. If it hasn't truly started yet there may still be a chance. Perhaps even freezing any remaining eggs or embryo if you are already married and know who you want to have a child with but it will be costly.
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN DEFICIENCY\n\n        Early signs and symptoms of decreased estrogen\n                Hot flashes\n                Insomnia\n                Decreased libido\n                Psychological and cognitive symptoms \n\n        Intermediate signs and symptoms of decreased estrogen\n\n                Vaginal atrophy (thinning and friability of vaginal tissue\n                Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)\n                Urge or stress incontinence\n                Skin atrophy\n                Breast changes (decreased size and density)\nSkin and mucous membrane changes (dryness, pruritis, loss of resilience, slight increase in facial hair) \n\n        Late signs and symptoms of decreased estrogen\n                Osteoporosis\n                Coronary heart disease\n                Alzheimer’s disease
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The *average* age for menopause is 51.  The official start of menopause is declared when a woman has gone twelve consecutive months without a menstrual period.  \n\nSo yes, women can definitely have their period at 53... and older.
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Yes, it's perfectly normal. At the beginning of Menopause, you'll prolly only have your period every other month or so. Don't worry about it.
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I'm 44 and I bet you're going thru perimenopause because I sure am. See my PMS page and then my perimenopause page. You are not alone!!
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get yourself to the doctor--it is more than just a really bad case of menopause...it sounds very serious...
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menopause brought on by your op, its quite common for it to happen
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If you have a complete hysterectomy, your ovaries will also be removed.  When your ovaries are removed, you go through surgical menopause.\n"Premenopausal women who have had both ovaries surgically removed (oophorectomy) will experience an abrupt menopause and may be hit harder by menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and loss of libido than those who experience it naturally. Surgical menopause is associated with a greater decrease in androgen production than natural menopause, which may make hot flashes more severe, more frequent, and longer lasting for some woman."  http://www.womenshealth.com/library/hysterectomy_meno.htm\n\nIf you still have your ovaries: \n"If one or both ovaries are retained during a hysterectomy the patient could experience:\n\nContinuing normal function of the ovaries until the normal onset of menopause at the usual age of menopause, or \nEarly ovarian failure with the ovaries stopping hormone production sooner than expected.  This loss of ovarian function can occur as early as 1-2 years after the hysterectomy.  The ovarian failure may be very apparent to the patient and HCP when symptoms of estrogen deficiency occur.  Or it may be silent if estrogen levels fall but symptoms do not occur."  http://www.womenshealth.com/library/hysterectomy_meno.htm\n\nIf you are not sure if you have your ovaries, you should find out!  If you can, call the doctor who did the surgery, or even the hospital where the surgery was performed, and ask for an operative report.  It is important to know what has been done to our bodies.\n\n\nTo read about causes of hot flashes (other than menopause), check out this link:  http://www.wdxcyber.com/nmood12.htm