Early Menopause Signs
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Early menopause signs, symptoms and complaints vary from one woman to the next, as does the age at which a woman begins to experience them. Menopause symtoms can be frustrating or challenging, but a positive attitude helps.
According to a survey conducted in September of 2006 by Johns Hopkins the menopause symtoms that significantly affect a woman’s assessment of her quality of life are mood changes and feeling tense. The women who participated in the study were asked about hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sore joints, bladder control problems and headache, but, interestingly, the majority of the women did not feel that these symptoms affected their quality of life.
Mood changes that are commonly reported as early menopause signs, symptoms and complaints include increased feelings of frustration, irritability and sadness. Some women even experience mild depression for the first time in their lives. Women who have had problems with depression or anxiety in the past are even more susceptible to becoming depressed once again.
Doctors, scientists and researchers are not sure what causes depression during menopause. It could be related to changing hormonal levels. Women have a higher risk than men of experiencing a major depressive period at some point in their life. Most experts believe this is all related to the, sometimes drastically changing hormonal levels that accompany pregnancy, childbirth, monthly cycles and menopause. Symtoms of depression should always be discussed with your health care professional. 
Many different therapies can reduce tension and stress. Most of them, you can do on your own, without prescription medication or hormone replacement therapy. Stress management techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, deep muscle relaxation and yoga can all relieve tension. As can regular exercise of any type. If you are not accustomed to regular exercise, it is always advisable to check with your doctor, particularly if you are overweight or have other health issues. In general, most women can safely begin an exercise regimen of 20 minutes, every other day, gradually increasing to 30 minutes every day.
Aerobic exercise is probably the best natural stress reliever. And, studies have shown that women who are under a great deal of unrelieved stress have more severe early menopause signs, symptoms and complaints. Chronic stress can, over time, lead to depression. Regular exercise can relieve depressed feelings and possible prevent the necessity of further treatment.
Some women begin to have early menopause signs, symptoms and complaints in their late thirties. Changes in menstrual periods and more severe premenstrual symptoms may be related to menopause. If a woman stops menstruating before the age of 40, it is considered premature menopause. Sometimes this happens naturally and may be a result of genetics. In other cases it is caused by treatment for a medical condition, such as removal of the ovaries due to cancer. Women who experience an unnatural premature menopause typically have more severe menopause symtoms and medication is often necessary.
To learn more about early menopause signs, symptoms and ways to improve or relieve your symptoms, please visit the Menopause and PMS guide.
Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes health related informational articles for the Menopause and PMS guide. Please visit http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com to learn more about menopause and premenstrual syndrome.
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Menopausal medication has recently been shocked by the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study which changed the entire way of considering prescribing menopausal medications drugs to alleviate menopause symptoms. Hence, this worldwide, major study was surprisingly stopped in the middle of its course after preliminary results showed that what was once freely prescribed menopause medication were holding a considerable threat to women using them for a long term.
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