Depression is one of the most devastating symptoms of perimenopause. Unfortunately, most women do not even recognize depression for what it is. It doesn’t help that people around them are also unable to identify depression and misunderstand symptoms.

Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of depression in menopause include decreased interest in activities, lack of appetite, loss of energy, thoughts of suicide, feelings of guilt, extreme irritability and feelings of worthlessness. Many women suffer these symptoms needlessly as they believe that these discomforts are a natural process of aging.

Connection between menopause and depression

There is a connection between menopause and depression. Most women may not realize it but hormonal changes trigger depression during menopause. Estrogen imbalance heightens symptoms of depression. Additionally, perimenopause creates hormonal imbalances in the body which manifests as stress. Stress affects mental function, which is why many women feel confused and disoriented by what is happening to them. This confusion exacerbates the feeling of depression.

Other causes of depression in menopausal women

Often, women nearing the age of menopause are burdened with stress. Typically, their profile could include growing children, difficult workplace and caring for aging parents. When too many roles have to be juggled, it leads to toxic stress.  Toxic stress leads to further imbalance in hormones, which in turn contributes to mood swings or depression.

When depression occurs, the body is depleted of serotonin, which is essential to maintain a positive state of mind.

Treatment of menopausal depression

Fortunately, menopause related depression is treatable. A holistic treatment method must be adopted to help women get over this dark phase. Some of the most important components of such a treatment method would include therapy through medication, exercise, dietary changes, changes in lifestyle factors and sufficient support from loved ones.

Depression caused by menopause should not be allowed to sabotage a woman’s life. It is natural to feel listless and without hope but when proactive action is taken, the process of recovery begins. 

One of the most frequent symptoms of menopause is hot flashes and it occurs in approximately two-thirds of women in the US. It is seen in almost all women in whom menopause has been induced.

Symptoms

A hot flash or a hot flush is a sensation of warmth enveloping parts of the body for a few seconds or more. It is believed that hot flashes occur when blood vessels that lie near the surface of the skin dilate. When the body becomes warm, perspiration may occur to bring down the body temperature. This could lead to episodes of sudden sweating.

Some of the symptoms of hot flashes include:

• A feeling of tingling warmth
• A feeling of intense pressure in the head
• A flushed feeling with the skin on the neck, chest and face turning red
• Heightened heartbeat
• Perspiration
• A feeling of being chilled following the warmth

When hot flashes accompanied by sweating occur at night, these are called night sweats and they may interfere with normal sleeping patterns.

The above symptoms may be accompanied by other symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dizziness and confusion.

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Frequency

The frequency of hot flashes may vary. Some women experience one episode in a day while others may experience one in a week. A typical episode may last from several minutes up to 30 minutes or more. It is possible to experience persistent sweating throughout the night and day or there may be an occasional feeling of warmth.

Cause

What causes hot flashes is not known. According to experts, the withdrawal of estrogen levels within the body at the time of menopause interferes with the function of the hypothalamus. This could be the probable cause of hot flashes.

In a large majority of women, hot flashes become so persistent and bothersome that they interfere with normal life.

Fortunately, it is possible to overcome hot flashes and take control of your body once again. Some of the important steps to follow to overcome hot flashes include:

• Therapy
• Altering food habits
• Reducing stress
• Taking in vitamins

Check out How Amberen works for hot flashes

As women reach their mid forties (in most cases the perimenopausal years), they may notice a tendency to gain weight. Research shows that the most significant weight gain in women happens in the years that precede menopause (perimenopause). More than 90% of menopausal women gain some amount of weight (between 10 to 15 pounds) during this stage.

Pattern of weight gain in menopause

Women going through menopause notice a change in their body shape. Gradual weight gain takes place and excess weight is deposited around the abdomen, resulting in what is called the ‘Apple’ shape. The ‘pear’ shape that was gained during the child bearing years may vanish slowly. This happens as it is hard to redistribute weight around the body as women age.

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Reasons for weight gain in menopause

Hormonal imbalance is the major cause of weight gain during the menopause years. Lack of estrogen is partly to be blamed for the weight gain in menopausal women. It is also believed that the lack of progesterone leads to water retention, which in turn makes a person feel as if they have put on weight.

Food habits may also change around menopause. For instance, during menopause, many women experience food cravings for carbohydrates and sugars. As a result, they may take in high calorie foods, leading to weight gain.

However, hormonal imbalance is not the only reason for menopausal weight gain.

• As women near the menopausal age, their metabolism slows down and muscle mass is lost. These changes contribute to weight gain.
• Typically, menopausal women exercise lesser than others. This leads to faster weight gain.
• Altered lifestyle habits may also contribute to weight gain during this age.

There is no reason for menopausal women to accept menopause related weight gain as normal. It is possible to overcome menopause related weight gain by encouraging the body to achieve hormonal balance naturally.

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Menopause symptoms explained

Women all over the world try and learn more about menopause and the health problems that result from menopause. However, menopause is just a certain point of time when women have not had their menstrual period for 12 months. It is in the period leading up to menopause when most women experience the effects of hormone fluctuations. This is called perimenopause or pre-menopause, and it could last from 2 years to 15 years or more. Therefore, although menopause generally strikes around the age of 50-52 years, pre-menopause symptoms start several months or years before.

Before exploring menopause symptoms in detail, it is necessary to understand why these symptoms occur in the first place.

Throughout life, the human body strives to achieve hormonal balance. This is the natural state. However, during perimenopause, the amount of estrogen and progesterone produced in the body falls. This leads to hormonal imbalance which in turn causes menopause symptoms. Loss of estrogen and falling progesterone levels are believed to cause most of the symptoms associated with menopause.

Premenopause symptoms:

Most women know some of the menopause symptoms like irregular bleeding, hot flashes and so on. However, many of them are surprised when they learn the complete spectrum of menopause symptoms. Some of the most common menopause symptoms are:

• Irregular periods
  
• Loss of regular sleep
• Fatigue
• Low energy levels
• Loss of libido
• Food cravings
• Mood swings, irritability, anger and anxiety
• Loss of concentration
• Hot flashes
• Weight gain

Hot flashes:

This is the most common menopause symptom and it is believed that more than 75% of women experience it at the time of menopause. Commonly, the hot flash is experienced as a feeling of warmth spreading over the body for 30 seconds or more. This is accompanied by palpitations, flushed skin and sweating. Hot flashes increase the pulse rate and elevate the temperature of the skin. They can also be the leading cause of insomnia in menopausal women.

Weight gain:

Most women find themselves gaining weight around the waist when they approach menopause. Often, weight management techniques that have worked well for years start failing. In addition to this, some women also experience sudden food cravings for carbohydrates and fats. Hormones play a vital role in metabolism and fat deposition. Therefore, fluctuating hormone levels lead to weight gain and the development of the ‘apple’ body.

Mood swings:

Pre-menopause is an emotional rollercoaster ride for most women. Mood swings may be defined as rapidly changing moods when people experience dramatic shift in their moods. Women experience mood swings during their menopause because of fluctuating hormone levels. Hormones are responsible for regulating moods. Mood swings may manifest as irritability, unexplained tears, listlessness, aggression, lack of patience, anxiety, depression or nervousness.

Irregular periods:

Declining levels of hormones in the body trigger irregular periods. Unfortunately, in addition to these underlying hormonal causes, physical and emotional factors worsen the problem of irregular periods in women.

Loss of sleep:

Menopause can trigger the onset of sleep problems like insomnia and sleep apnea. The lack of proper sleep has a cascading effect as it triggers other problems such as low energy levels, lack of concentration, fogginess and mood swings.

Some of the other lesser known menopause symptoms include headache, thinning of hair, dryness of facial skin, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, problems in digestion and urinary dysfunction.

More than 80% of women around the world experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance because of two reasons: the extraordinary demands placed on the body, and the lack of sufficient support. That said, it must be remembered that all women do not experience all the menopause symptoms listed above. Some women experience some symptoms more than others while in a small minority of cases, the transition from pre-menopause to menopause takes place without incident.

Many women worry about menopause symptoms. Fortunately, it is possible to find relief from menopause symptoms by restoring hormonal balance naturally. When this is done, menopause becomes a liberating experience.