{"id":2374,"date":"2019-01-03T07:21:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T07:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=2374"},"modified":"2021-07-20T18:17:34","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T18:17:34","slug":"9-alarming-signs-of-early-menopause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/9-alarming-signs-of-early-menopause\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Alarming Signs of Early Menopause"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The symptoms you may be experiencing due to an onset of early menopause are almost identical to those that you would experience in menopause at the average age of around 51, although with an early onset the symptoms can be more obvious. It is usually impossible to reverse the process, but it can be treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is possible to get tested and therefore receive a diagnosis on whether you are going through early menopause. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned here, then you should ask your doctor about it as the first step. This usually involves a physical examination and a blood test which will attempt to find out if it’s something else such as an unknown pregnancy or thyroid issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The causes which contribute to a woman having premature menopause will vary from person to person but it is usually a simple case of genetics. It can also be caused by an illness or even some medical treatments such as radiation therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Irregular Periods<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are experiencing wild fluctuations in your monthly period at the age of 40 or younger, this can often be a sign indicating the onset of early menopause<\/a>. These irregularities could take a number of different forms. For example, you could find that your regular monthly periods are now coming much closer together, or much further apart. In either case, this is due to a change in hormone levels because estrogen is responsible for thickening the uterus lining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This irregularity normally begins from the age of about 45 to 55, so if you are experiencing it before this age then you should get it checked out with your doctor. However, in rare cases, some women will enter menopause without having any irregularities at all with their periods. At a certain point, your periods will just completely stop, and this is generally considered to be the time at which you are officially menopausal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Heavier or Lighter Period<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with the irregularities in the menstrual cycle mentioned above in this list, which include the monthly period coming sooner or later than what is normal, the same can often be experienced with the heaviness or lightness of periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavy bleeding, which is considered to be when a pad or tampon<\/a> must be replaced every two hours, is fairly common during the onset of menopause and can be the first sign for many women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, during the onset of menopause, it can also be the case that periods are lighter and last for a shorter time than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is impossible to predict how long this and other symptoms will last, and even your own doctor or specialist can’t give you a precise time frame, but in many cases, there are treatments available. So, ask your doctor at your next appointment what can be done to ease the severity of whatever symptoms you are experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Hot Flushes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, women will not experience what is known as hot flushes until after their periods have stopped coming altogether. However, this is not an absolute rule and there may be exceptions in certain cases. The feeling of hot flushes is most often described almost like a fever which occurs rapidly, with no environmental cause necessary such as being in a hot room, and the effects can be either mild or severe. If it is associated with early menopause then it is more likely to be severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These hot flushes are almost always due to the fact that estrogen<\/a> levels within the body will fall rapidly after the point at which the monthly periods have stopped. The rapid fall in estrogen levels is also the cause for most other symptoms that may be experienced by women going through menopause, whether it is at an early age or the average age for onset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Night Sweats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similar to the hot flushes described above, some women will also experience night sweats<\/a> as a symptom of menopause. However, some women will not experience night sweats at all as it is less common than hot flushes which happen during the day. When these night sweats do occur, they can be very severe no matter the age of the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some women have reported feeling almost drenched with sweat when they wake up in the middle of the night, and even having to change clothes in some cases. This can often lead to exhaustion and\/or irritability during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In rare cases, there will be women who never experience either hot flushes or night sweats at all during menopause. It may be possible to prevent or at least reduce the occurrence of night sweats through medication or supplements, so talk to your doctor about it if you feel like there could be a benefit to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Disturbed Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These sleep disturbances can occur due to some of the other symptoms described here, such as night sweats in particular, but this is not always the case and it can take other forms that vary from person to person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the post-menopause years, just over half of women report having insomnia and also an increase in snoring<\/a> and sleep apnoea in less common cases. All of these factors cause many women to feel like they are having a less restful night of sleep, and in turn, this can lead to depression or other mood changes during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with most other symptoms related to natural or early menopause, there are treatments available. However, some of these treatments such as HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) have brought up safety concerns in recent studies, such as a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and even dementia later in life. In any case, the effectiveness of this treatment varies a lot based on the individual and the way it was administered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Fatigue and Joint Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The feeling of fatigue<\/a> that many women experience during or after the onset of menopause can be related to insomnia and other sleep problems mentioned above, but it can also be a sign of other health issues. Becoming more tired is a natural part of the aging process, but if you feel that it has come on rapidly or it is debilitating then you should bring it up with your doctor at your next visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joint pain can also occur due to the lower level of estrogen in the body at the time of menopause. This happens because estrogen is partly responsible for stopping the inflammation of joints. These aches are generally experienced in the mid to lower parts of the body such as hips and knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When fatigue and joint pain are experienced together, it may also be a sign of fibromyalgia which is not related to menopause. There is no known cause for fibromyalgia, but it is thought that genetics is part of it, as well as having a recent illness or some kind of infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Increased Anxiety and Mood Changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is quite common for women who are going through menopause, whether at an early age or not, to report that they are becoming upset over things that normally would not have affected them in the past. This can take the form of sadness and depression, with seemingly unexplained emotions and tears, or it can also make some women angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with many other symptoms mentioned here, there could very well be other reasons for this increased anxiety<\/a> and changes in the mood but it is often due to the hormonal change associated with menopause. In the case of women going through early menopause, these unusual feelings can often have a more severe effect than those experienced by women going through menopause at the average age of 51.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particularly when this is the only symptom being experienced, it is important to rule out any other possibilities first before assuming this is due to early menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Vaginal Dryness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This symptom is usually one that appears later than others, as it takes effect after the levels of estrogen in the body have been low for a longer period of time. Vaginal dryness<\/a> can be very uncomfortable and has a negative impact on sexual activity which increases the discomfort and can also make it painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reduction of estrogen levels in the body can cause you to be more susceptible to vaginal or urinary infection such as chronic UTIs, which is also due to bacterial changes in the vagina. The dryness can also lead to a feeling of itchiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The duration of this and other symptoms will vary depending on the individual and could last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. The severity of the symptoms also varies wildly, and some women will not experience many of them, but the severity is often increased when it is due to early menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Frequent Urination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Waking up in the middle of the night and feeling like you need to rush to the bathroom, when it is not due to other factors such as drinking large amounts of liquids before going to bed, could also be a sign of the onset of early menopause. More specifically, this can be a sign of estrogen deficiency after the change in hormone levels which in turn affects the ability of the urinary tract to properly control urination in some women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than frequent urination, there may also be a feeling of discomfort in the bladder<\/a> without the subsequent need to urinate. The stress on your body from giving birth naturally may also play a role in urinary problems even long after the fact, and only become evident after menopause. There are steps that can be taken to manage these symptoms, so talk to your doctor or specialist during your next visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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