The common symptoms of menopause are those that occur during peri-menopause as well as menopause. All these are either cyclical in nature, or they respond to treatments, both traditional as well as alternative, which are known to address hormonal imbalances.
Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and cold flashes, besides clammy feeling are the most common symptoms of menopause. The hot flashes are due to the hypothalamic response to the declining ovarian estrogen production. This declining estrogen state induces the hypophysiotropic neurons in the hypothalamus to release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in a pulsatile fashion. This stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone (LH). Extremely high pulses of LH occur during this period of declining estrogen production. The LH has vasodilatory effects, which lead to flushing.
Other symptoms of menopause include irregular heart beat, irritability besides mood swings and sudden tears. Besides, there may be trouble sleeping through the night.
There are other symptoms of menopause like irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; or even heavier periods, flooding. There may be loss of libido. For some women this loss is so great that they may actually find sex repulsive, in much the same way as they had felt before puberty. What hormones give, the loss of hormones tends to take away.
Dry vagina is among the other symptoms. Besides, there may be crashing fatigue, anxiety, feeling ill at ease, as well as feelings of dread, apprehension, and doom. There may be difficulty in concentrating, disorientation, as well as mental confusion. Other symptoms are disturbing memory lapses as well as incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; and urge incontinence.
Itchy, crawly skin and aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons are the other symptoms besides increased tension in muscles and breast tenderness. There may also be gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, besides flatulence, gas pain, and nausea as well as sudden bouts of bloat.