For those who are new to the wonderful world of menopause, I have put together a 2-part series on knowing those symptoms.

Understanding the Symptoms of Menopause

The many symptoms of menopause may be both physical as well as emotional, and also vary in type and intensity among different women. Affecting several aspects of a woman's life, menopause usually begins around the age of 50, although many will experience signs and symptoms years before then.

Varying greatly by the individual, menopause symptoms may range from the severe, to the barely noticeable. In fact, some women have no signs at all, except for the end of their menstrual cycle, to indicate they have entered menopause, which has long been referred to as "the change of life."

The most common symptoms of menopause include the following:

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Hot flashes, and their nightly counterparts, the often more intense night sweats, are rather common symptoms of menopause experienced by the majority of women. Described as a sudden sensation of warmth spreading over the body, usually causing redness mostly on the neck, face, and chest. This physical reaction to a decrease in estrogen is a perfectly normal, if not bothersome, symptom of menopause.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

At some point in time, nearly every woman has experienced a few irregular menstrual cycles for one reason or another, with most usually being hormone related. When in perimenopause, which means "near or around the time of menopause," menstruation may be unusually heavy one month, and practically nonexistent the next. Some women might have spotting in between periods, and the length between one cycle to the next may vary greatly.

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