What Happens To You During Menopause (Part 3)

Stop Suffering From Menopause. Find Relief Now!

Mood Swings And Depression
Menopause can bring about several negative feeling simultaneously resulting in irritability, mood swings, tearfulness and depression. It is often difficult to pinpoint what it is exactly that brings about the emotional changes. Often, other major changes are occurring in connection with your home and family. Perhaps your children are leaving home and you are suffering from the ‘empty nest syndrome’. It could be that you are going through a difficult time in your marriage struggling to make things work. You may long to go back to work now that the children are grown or you are tired of being in the same job for twenty-five years. Perhaps you have negative thoughts about menopause or are troubled by the symptoms.

Symptoms of depression are characterized by feelings of worthlessness and self-reproach, lack of concentration, feelings of doom, fatigue, unusual sleeping patterns, extreme eating patterns and suicidal thoughts.

What You Can Do
* See your doctor if you have been having negative depressive feelings for at least two weeks. HRT is the mainstay of treatment for emotional symptoms.
* Share your feelings with your husband and you may find him very supportive. Otherwise share them with a close friend.
* Join a self-help group or start one yourself.
* Exercise to keep fit. The hormone, endorphin, released into your bloodstream will lift your moods.
* Practice relaxation techniques; they promote tranquility and combat tension.

Thinning Tissues
When estrogen decreases, the skin and other tissues become thin and lose their suppleness. The skin has more wrinkles and the hair becomes thinner and less manageable. Thinning of the urinary tract often leads to loss of bladder control and thinning of the vaginal wall causes dryness resulting in painful intercourse.

What You Can Do
* Moisturize the skin as you grow older and protect it from the sun.
* Keep a simple haircut that is easy to manage.
* Use water-based jelly to ease painful inter-course.
* Do pelvic floor exercises to strengthen bladder control. It will also give you a more acute vaginal sensation, making sex more pleasurable.

If the symptoms are really bothering you, consult your doctor. HRT is often recommended for these problems. It may be in the form of tablets, skin patches or vaginal cream.

Other Symptoms
You may also experience headaches, muscle aches, slight memory loss, hair growth, a reduction in breast size and a change in body shape, in connection with estrogen loss.

Tags: Menopause, Menopause Symptom, Menopause Treatment