5 Common Symptoms of Menopause & How to Ease Them

Most of the symptoms menopausal women experience occur primarily during the perimenopause stage. These symptoms are due to the effects of decreased production of female hormones and can vary widely for each person. Follow these tips to ease your menopausal symptoms.

1. Mood Changes or Swings

Hormones fluctuate during menopause, which can bring on unfamiliar feelings or emotions. To calm your mood changes, practice relaxation and stress-reducing techniques. These can include deep breathing exercises, a balanced lifestyle with good nutrition and daily exercise, and self-nurturing activities.

2. Urinary Incontinence

There are ways to improve urinary control. Drinking adequate amounts of water will keep your urine clear and diluted, and reducing your intake of foods or beverages with high acid or caffeine will reduce irritation of your bladder lining. Try Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor.

3. Hot Flashes

During menopause, you may experience hot flashes around the face, neck, and chest, with or without sweating. To handle hot flashes, be sure to dress in thin layers, reduce your alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine consumption, and practice deep breathing when hot flashes begin.

4. Changes to Your Period

Every woman’s period will fluctuate during menopause. As this is the nature of menopause, the time between each cycle and your amount of flow may vary. Visit your OB/GYN if you experience heavy bleeding, periods occurring close together or lasting longer than a week, or spotting.

5. Difficulty Falling Asleep

To limit interruptions to your sleep schedule, wake up and go to bed at a scheduled time. Additionally, the conditions of your room play a huge part. Be sure to keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. With consistency, this practice can ease your sleep issues.

If you have concerns about your menopausal symptoms, discuss them with your doctor. Make an appointment with a Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group OB/GYN to determine the best course of for you.

Sources:
NAMS - Five Solutions for Menopause Symptoms
WomensHealth.gov - Menopause symptom relief and treatments
NIH - Menopause Symptoms
FDA - Menopause and Hormones: Common Questions