The first symptoms of menopause

The first symptoms of menopause in women appear at the age of over 50, then this is considered a normal age period for the beginning of the involution of the reproductive system. Often the appearance of menopause in women is identified with aging, which negatively affects their psychological state and worsens the clinical course. This issue should be treated more simply, as an obligatory physiological period of life. After all, one must also know how to age. Often the symptoms of menopause are expressed significantly and greatly affect the daily activity of a woman. To correct the condition and maintain the normal functioning of the body, it is necessary to know the features of changes in the female body during this period.

The first symptoms of menopause are often nonspecific and can manifest as vegetative and emotional changes.

The entire period of menopause is conventionally divided into premenopause, menopause and postmenopause.

The first clinical manifestations occur at the age of about forty-five, that is, during the premenopause period. Then the level of hormones gradually decreases and the woman feels "hot flashes". This concept is quite broad and includes a feeling of heat, increased sweating, palpitations or heart palpitations. There may also be vegetative symptoms with irritation of the parasympathetic nervous system in the form of nausea, vomiting, headache. Emotional instability processes are often expressed, which occurs due to a violation of the regulation of excitation and inhibition processes in the central nervous system. This is manifested by increased mental lability, irritability, depression, sleep disturbance in the form of drowsiness or insomnia. Performance and endurance are significantly reduced, fatigue is increased, libido decreases. At first glance, these symptoms do not seem serious, but they may indicate the onset of menopause, so they require attention. This may be the first sign of the onset of menopause, while menstruation is still normal with a normal cycle. It is advisable to see a doctor at that moment, because specific hormone replacement therapy can eliminate the symptoms and delay the onset of menopause.

Sometimes the first symptoms in the form of emotional-vegetative manifestations are absent or expressed insignificantly and the woman simply does not pay attention to her condition. Then the first symptoms can be in the form of high blood pressure and headaches, which is more often observed in women predisposed to this, that is, previously suffering from arterial hypertension. In this case, all symptoms intensify and complex therapy is necessary.

Sometimes vegetative manifestations are not expressed, and menopause first manifests itself immediately with a cycle disorder. These features depend on the individuality of the female body and are difficult to predict. Menstruation becomes irregular: most often one month is normal, and two or three months are absent. These are typical signs of the onset of menopause. But there may be other options: heavy menstruation once, then absent for six months, or scanty discharge every month with a gradual decrease in their amount. These features are individual, but you should pay attention if a woman in postmenopause, two or three years after the last cycle, suddenly has discharge like menstruation - this may be a sign of a malignant tumor.

Women often complain of leg pain or muscle cramps – this is also a symptom of menopause. After all, this condition occurs due to a violation of mineral metabolism due to a lack of estrogens, which normally provide mineralization of bones. As soon as the level of estrogens during menopause decreases, calcium begins to be excreted from the bones and this contributes to the development of osteoporosis. To correct this condition, it is necessary to take not only calcium supplements, but also to compensate to some extent for the deficiency of estrogens to slow down the process of osteoporosis.

Symptoms of menopause can also manifest themselves in the cardiovascular system, in the form of high blood pressure, angina pectoris and ischemic heart disease. The latter pathology occurs due to the fact that with a deficiency of estrogens, metabolism is disrupted and the level of lipids and atherogenic lipoproteins increases - and this contributes to the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels with the development of ischemia of organs, primarily the heart. Therefore, the appearance of symptoms from the cardiovascular system indicates the need for complex therapy.

The first symptoms of menopause can often be non-specific and are expressed individually in each woman. In any case, it is necessary to remember about age-related changes in the reproductive system and promptly diagnose the initial manifestations of symptoms. This condition can be corrected by taking hormonal drugs.