What are Some Of the Most Common Symptoms During Menopause, and How to Relieve Them?

You've heard of menopause and even suspect you're experiencing symptoms. Still, you're unsure what they are or even how to relieve them. It's understandable. Menopause, while a natural transition in life, affects each woman differently. That's why understanding what the most common menopausal symptoms are and the best ways to alleviate them helps women make the transition as easy as possible. 

 

Common Menopausal Symptoms

 Menopause signals a time when a woman can no longer have children. The average age is in the early 50s, although menopause can happen much earlier. Women may begin to experience symptoms before the actual onset of menopause as the body becomes accustomed to lower levels of vital hormones.

 

The most critical female hormones are estrogen and progesterone. As a woman becomes infertile, levels of estrogen and progesterone plummet dramatically. This drop in hormones causes painful side effects.

 

Hot flashes 

The most talked about symptom of menopause is hot flashes. One moment your temperature is average, and in the next, you're drenched in sweat for no apparent reason. Hot flashes can happen without warning, and the sensation can be quite uncomfortable and even embarrassing.

 

Night Sweats

 Night sweats are comparable to hot flashes, except the menopausal symptom happens at night. Most women report waking up in a pool of sweat. You may even have to change pajamas and bedsheets before returning to slumber. In some cases, it may result in sleepless nights. 

 

Insomnia

 Insomnia affects millions of people around the globe and has various causes. One of them could be menopause. As your body learns to regulate with lower hormone levels, it may cause poor sleeping patterns. Insomnia means you have a hard time falling asleep, or you can fall asleep but wake up mid-cycle and have a difficult time falling back asleep. Regardless, insomnia can affect everything from your relationships to your job performance. 

 

Weight Gain

 Gaining weight is probably one of the most unwelcome menopausal symptoms. The reason for weight gain is that lower levels of estrogen lower metabolism. The telltale sign that menopause is connected to weight gain is that you start to gain weight around your abdomen. But remember that weight gain can come with age as well.

 

Low Sex Drive

 Sexual appetite can decrease as one ages as well. Still, menopausal women may experience a higher than normal plummet in sexual energy. Estriol and progesterone regulate the menstrual cycle and fertility, making your mind and body desire sex for copulation. Without an abundance of these critical hormones, you may have a lower sex drive.

 

Mood Swings

 Most women go through stages of feeling up and down, but menopause can make the seesaw even more pronounced. Between the hot flashes and the weight gain, you may even feel more emotional, resulting in depression or anxiety.

 

Weak Bones

 Women are more susceptible to osteoporosis in general, but lower levels of estrogen increase the risk. Estrogen helps protect bones, and lower levels may cause bone loss. Another risk is that brittle bones make it easier to break a hip, which is a concern for older women.

 

Menopausal Treatments

 What people don't realize about menopause is that the symptoms can go on for years. Completing the transition takes time. As your body adjusts to lower hormone levels, you may be living with constant symptoms. The good news is that there are treatments that work.

 

Hormone Replacement Therapy

 Low hormone levels are the reason for menopause. The simplest and most effective treatment is hormone replacement therapy. In the past, hormone therapy was controversial. However, current research has shown that the benefits outweigh the risks for women within ten years of menopause either way. When you use an estrogen and progesterone cream, you replace the missing hormones with natural ones. The topical cream provides balance, making life more pleasurable.

 

While different types of applications exist, from pills to suppositories, a topical cream is extremely effective. You apply the estrogen cream to your skin once or twice a day, and that's it. You don't have to worry about pills or tablets to swallow. Your skin soaks up the estrogen and progesterone, and then your bloodstream circulates the necessary hormones.

 

Topical hormone creams don’t require a prescription and can be purchased online. Even though they are safe to use, ask your doctor or healthcare professional about hormone therapy.

 

Dietary Changes

 Maintaining a healthy diet is always a good answer, regardless if you have menopausal symptoms or not. However, some evidence suggests that consuming certain foods may help increase estrogen and progesterone naturally. You want to consume foods high in phytoestrogens, including:

 

• Soy: It has phytoestrogens that help improve estrogen levels and comes in many forms, from milk to tofu.
• Seeds: Try some flax or sesame seeds for added fiber and a hormonal boost.
• Hummus: If you love chickpeas, you’ll love hummus. It makes a great dipping sauce or rolled up in a wrap.
• Dried fruit: You can add dried cherries, blueberries, raisins, or cranberries to yogurt or cereal. Or eat as a snack.
• Whole grain bread: Bread can get a bad wrap, but if you choose whole grain bread packed with seeds and nutrients, you may increase your hormones.

 

Regular Exercise

 Consuming a healthy diet and engaging in consistent exercise helps fight the bulge and gives you that hormonal boost you deserve. You really only need 20-30 minutes a day of regular exercise to make a difference over time.

 

Exercise gives you other essential hormones such as endorphins that help fight off pain and alleviate depression and anxiety. Endorphins act in the same way as a drug, except the only addiction that happens is more exercise.

 

Finding ways to alleviate menopausal symptoms may take time and energy at first. Menopause affects each woman differently, and what may work for one person may not have the same effect on the other. However, hormone replacement therapy, a healthy diet, and regular exercise may be the winning combination. Try estriol cream today to see if it's right for you.