How do I know when my menopause is starting?

There is a long list of symptoms associated with the menopause. They are symptoms of hormonal change and fluctuation. Some women experience many of them, others just a few, and the luckiest ones none at all. On average women reach the menopause at age 51. That’s when you haven’t had any periods for 12 consecutive months.

Although the word menopause theoretically refers to the time when a woman stops having periods altogether, it is often used to describe the years leading up to the final change. Nowadays this period is also known as the perimenopause. According to many studies it can last anything between a few months and fifteen years.

The perimenopause is not a disease. It is a natural stage that every woman experiences differently. Knowing about the possible symptoms will help you prepare for it.

Perimenopause - symptoms
PMS	fatigue	changes in urination	food cravings
forgetfulness	gum problems	depression	breat pain
changes in body odor	hair loss	weight gain	loss of bone density
pain during sex	fibroids	insomnia	increase in allergies
heart palpitations	irregular periods	headaches	dry skin
mood swings	anxiety	hot flashes	loss of libido
vaginal dryness	joint pain	irritability	fuzzy thinking

Many of these symptoms can be difficult to cope with. They can affect your family life, relationships, health, work life, etc. To help you ease the effects, there is a website called As We Change where you can find a wide range of products that will allow you to improve your quality of life.