Menopause

I’ve titled this article Menopause. When I started my research for menopause, I realized I was mistaken. I thought perhaps other people would do same. You see, everyone talks about going through menopause. Menopause is the natural cessation of menstruation that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Perimenopause is the period around the onset of menopause often marked by various physical signs such as hot flashes and menstrual irregularity. Menopause is different from perimenopause. Menopause is the permanent end of menstruation. Perimenopause is the “going through” phase that everyone talks about.

Being almost 50 years old, and experiencing all these strange symptoms, I thought I was going through menopause. This is when I found it was the onset of perimenopause. I started talking to my friends about it. What kind of symptoms can I expect? How long does it last? Is there anything I can do about it to make it easier?

Everyone’s experience is different as there are no two women exactly the same. The list, after doing a little research, is somewhat extensive. I have not included everything. These are just some of the symptoms I am experiencing.

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Night sweats
• Insomnia
• Achy sore muscles, tendons and joints
• Increased allergies
• Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
• Itchy crawling skin
• Sudden bouts of bloating
• Incontinence
• Mood swings (especially sudden tears)
• Changes in hair (more grays popping up everywhere)

After talking with some of my friends who are still experiencing it or have recently gone through it, their time-frames are somewhat different. Some say it only lasts a few years while others have said it will go on for up to ten years. (God, help me if I have to go through this for ten years!)

I’ve been experiencing this for about two years now. The first year, I didn’t realize it. I just thought it was my moodiness. I have been paying attention to things that make me feel better and things that make me feel worse. These are not all the different things that I do, but here are some.

• I have noticed that when I have a glass (ONE) of wine at night, the next day my blood pressure is normal. Skip the wine, the blood pressure is pre-hypertension.

• Taking the time every other day to walk for an hour helps my mood swings. It’s also very relaxing and healthy.

• Drinking more water helps my skin itchiness.

• Staying away from people who cause irritability is always a good thing.

• Talking with a good friend about how you feel

Hope you found this interesting and informative. I would love to hear how you deal with perimenopause.

Be sure to check out some of the other great M-Blogs today.