Menopausal Symptoms
What to look out for.
When hormone levels begin to decline in the lead-up to menopause, every system that has these hormone receptors registers the change, including your brain. This constant change in hormone levels during this time can cause unpleasant symptoms, which can vary with each woman and over time.
Each woman experiences menopause differently, and symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Some women do not experience any symptoms while others present a range of differing symptoms such as joint pain. Even if you have minor symptoms for a short period of time, they can have a major impact on your quality of life. The long-term effects of the menopause include osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, and depression. If you are experiencing symptoms, you should talk to your GP or gynaecologist.
A list of the most common primary symptoms during the perimenopause and menopause is:
Primary Symptoms
Vasomotor symptoms (VMS)
About 80% of women experience hot flushes and night sweats. VMS can begin in the perimenopause and continue into menopause and beyond. Symptoms that can go along with the hot flushes are sweating, mood changes, feeling tense, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, feeling unhappy or depressed, feeling teary, dizzy or faint, memory loss (‘brain fog’), and low libido.
