Most of us are already familiar with the symptoms and discomforts that accompany menopause.  Many times we find laughter when a friend finds the temperature to be much warmer than those around her.  However, the discomforts of hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and other menopause symptoms are not really that humorous at all.  Before we begin to address how we can ease some of the pains that accompany this transitional time in life for women, lets discuss a little more about what menopause is and what changes may be occurring in your body during this phase.

Menopause is simply a transitional phase in the life of a woman during which menstruation cease.   Most women experience menopause during their late forties or early fifties.  Menopause is the result of hormonal changes that occur in a woman’s body.  The hormonal changes that cause menopause can begin for some women as early as their middle thirties.  One of the hormonal changes that occur prior to and during menopause is the decreased production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries.  The loss of these hormones can cause many of the symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and loss of libido.  Therefore hormone therapy could help ease many of these symptoms.

There are many other symptoms that may be caused by menopause and the loss of estrogen in a women’s body.  For example the loss of estrogen leads to the thinning of vaginal tissues which may result in vaginal dryness or even painful intercourse.  The tissues near the bladder may also thin and cause painful urination or more frequent need for urination.

Additional symptoms of menopause and the hormonal changes and imbalances before, during, and after menopause include:

Usually these symptoms occur as a result of the loss of estrogen or the imbalanced hormones that are prevalent in a woman’s body during this transitional phase.  If you are experiencing these symptoms and they are interfering with your daily life then consulting a hormone therapist would be a great step in regulating these changes and curbing the adverse effects.