Pre Menopause Symptoms

Contrary to what many women think, menopause is actually a long period, and it may or may not include any symptoms. The only solid symptom of menopause is periods that are irregular and that eventually stop. Actually, you can only name the date of your menopause in retrospect, since menopause is defined as your last menstrual cycle, and you have to have been period-free for a year before you can say when menopause was. However, most women do experience some symptoms during perimenopause, so it's good to know the pre menopause symptoms so that you can prepare yourself early.

At first, some of your symptoms may seem related to PMS, since one of the main symptoms of early menopause can be mood swings. Women who are in perimenopause - which is the time period when the body's estrogen levels are dropping and menstrual cycles are becoming irregular - may also experience symptoms like hot flashes, lack of mental clarity, sleep troubles, headaches, and racing hearts. You may also experience breast tenderness, decreased sex drive, and vaginal dryness.

Luckily, most women don't experience all of these menopause symptoms - or at least not all at once. Different women will begin menopause differently, depending largely on their lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions. In general, it's thought that women who had severer PMS symptoms will have severer menopause symptoms, though this doesn't always hold true.

When you do start experiencing some symptoms of menopause, chances are likely that you may experience some mixed emotions. Menopause is a natural part of life, but it can also be a difficult thing for women to deal with because it is a distinct sign of aging and because it marks the end of your childbearing years. However, instead of fighting this completely natural process, you can work with your body to make things easier. The sooner you start making healthy lifestyle changes that will improve your experience of menopause, the better.

Some Changes to Make for Pre Menopausal Relief

Although some doctors will recommend hormonal replacement therapy for severe menopause symptoms, this approach has been shown to have many negative side effects, including an increased risk of cancer. Instead of taking this approach, which actually attempts to reverse some of the natural hormonal changes of menopause by supplementing hormones that the body is no longer producing, you can make some lifestyle changes to make your transition through menopause a graceful one.

One of the main things that you can do to help yourself during pre menopause is to eat right. You should be getting plenty of fruits and vegetables. Focus on incorporating different colored plant foods into your daily diet, since this will give you a wider variety of vitamins and minerals. Also, getting plenty of protein, fiber, calcium, and iron can help alleviate some symptoms. To eat right and maintain a healthy weight, which is also important, try to eat several small meals each day and include complex carbohydrates and protein in every meal.

Getting enough sleep and exercise is also important to pre menopausal women. You may feel more tired than normal during pre menopause, which is natural. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night will help, as will exercising on a daily basis. If you have trouble getting enough sleep because you're experiencing insomnia, consider using a natural herbal supplement like chamomile or valerian to help you get to sleep at night.

Taking these simple, healthy steps as soon as you feel menopause symptoms coming on will help you ensure that you get through menopause with as little fuss and bother as possible. Instead of using a dangerous clinical treatment to ease your symptoms, dealing with them in a healthy, proactive way will leave you feeling healthier and more confident through this natural phase in your life.