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How hard is it to Identify the Symptoms of Menopause?

Some of the many types of menopause symptoms a women going through "the change" might experience are difficult to recognize. Every woman's body will react differently to the changing hormones during "the change". Many people think there are only handful of symptoms that are truely related to "the change". The fact remains that there are too many symptoms of menopause to count. Some signs are very subtle and barely noticeable. Those that are most obvious will not be mistaken. A woman should begin learning the signs and symptoms as early as age 30 to avoid being surprised by their occurence. If you have already experienced menopause you can be your loved one's saving grace with the knowledge you already have.
Perhaps one of the most widely recognized and heard about menopause symptoms is the "hot flash". "Hot flash" is the name of the sudden feeling of being too hot. Women who experience this will suddenly have a flushed face and begin sweating. It will feel, just for a moment or two, as if a person had suddenly and quickly turned your body's temperature up too high. Some women report that it is more intense than the feeling you get when you go from a room that is too cold to a room that is too hot. Hot flashes can happen at just about any time. Night time hot flashes are usually called "night sweats." One of the menopause symptoms that is harder to find is an irregular heartbeat. An irregular heartbeat is a heartbeat that will suddenly get faster or slower without your having to do anything to cause the change to happen. One example is of a woman who is sitting still who feels her heart suddenly start racing and then, after a moment, it slows way way down. Other women do not notice this symptom at all. Sometimes the only way a woman will learn this is happening is during a doctor's visit for another problem. A doctor checks the woman's heart during a routine exam and notices that it is not acting as it should. Depending on how old you are, this might be a symptom of "the change."
An increase in itching is a symptom of menopause that most people don't recognize. Extra itchy and crawling skin is something that many women going through "the change of life" report experiencing. This is a different feeling than you get with dry skin.
Some people compare it to the sensation of having ants crawling under the skin. This can be hard to deal with if you don't know what you are going through. Talk to your doctor if your skin is unusually itchy or you can't stop scratching. It's possible you've developed a skin condition. It might also be a sign that you are about to go through or are already going through menopause.
In a word menopause is treacherous. It is pretty obvious that menopause is difficult for a woman to go through. A woman going through menopause can be a challenge to those in her life too. The feelings and emotions a women experiencing menopause are not under her control, she cannot stop the way she feels, she cannot fix it herself. The reactions a menopausal women has to the changes she is experiencing within her body are not voluntary. Understand that she needs your support and your patience. At some point the process will slow and she will level out. Being able to recognize menopause symptoms can assist loved ones with the right reactions to a menopausal woman.
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Understanding Menopause Symptoms and How They Affect Your Loved Ones

There are several types of symptoms that will affect how a woman feels during menopause. One woman might experience hot flashes while another might experience cold flashes or none at all. Alot of people do not know all of the symptoms of menopause because only a few actually make the news. The vast array of symptoms related to menopause are varied and uncontrollable. The beginning signs of menopause can be very subtle and barely recognizable. Some are incredibly noticable. Learning which symptoms are truely menopausal symptoms can be an important factor in how and when a woman chooses treatment. Helping other women through their "change" will give you a sense of purpose and perhaps make you feel a little better about having made the "change" yourself.
Losing one's mental acuity is perhaps the most annoying menopause symptom, especially for the person experiencing it. Lots of women say that they have a hard time concentrating, that they feel disoriented and that they are often confused. Some women are especially distressed by lapses in their memory. The woman is not the only person who has problems with this--it also affects the rest of the people in her life.
If the women in your life have this symptom try to be sympathetic. It is much more annoying for the woman than it is for you.
Incontinence is, for many women, the most embarrassing symptom of menopause. Incontinence happens as a side effect of losing your smooth muscle tone.
You will notice this most often when you sneeze or if you laugh very hard. Women experience this symptom of menopause to varying degrees. Some find it only mildly annoying but easy to manage. This particular symptom can be incredibly embarrassing for some. Don't be too hard on a woman if she has to wear panty liners or other types of protective wear or if she has to find a bathroom whenever she sneezes.
Increased levels of itchiness is a symptom of menopause that many women ignore because they don't know what it is. Extra itchy and crawling skin is something that many women going through "the change of life" report experiencing. This is not the same as the sensation you feel with dry skin.
The best description is "it's like ants are crawling through my skin." This is a very disturbing sensation for women who don't know what it is that they are feeling. If you feel itchier than usual and constantly want to scratch, call your doctor. It's possible you've developed a skin condition. It might also be one of the signs that you are about to go through menopause (or have started going through menopause already).
Menopause, plainly put, is not fun. It is an incredible feat to endure menopause for any woman. In fact, the family and friends of a menopausal woman will endure many of the same challenges. It is important to remember that a woman going through menopause cannot help what she is feeling or experiencing. The way she might behave is an uncontrollable consequence of the changes in her body. Understand that she needs your support and your patience. At some point the process will slow and she will level out. If you really want to understand what a woman in menopause is experiencing it is important that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms she will exhibit and how to handle them when they do happen.
menopause symptoms
hormone replacement therapy

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Previous Posts
How hard is it to Identify the Symptoms of Menopause?, posted January 4th, 2011
Understanding Menopause Symptoms and How They Affect Your Loved Ones, posted January 4th, 2011

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