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Diseases » Menopause » Symptoms

Symptoms of Menopause



Contents

List of symptoms of Menopause:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Menopause includes the 50 symptoms listed below:

Note that Menopause symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Menopause signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About Menopause

Do I have Menopause?

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical tests related to Menopause:

Wrongly Diagnosed with Menopause?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Menopause includes:

See the full list of 16 alternative diagnoses for Menopause

More about symptoms of Menopause:

More information about symptoms of Menopause and related conditions:

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

Medical Books Online about Menopause

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Menopause are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Menopause.

Medical Books Excerpts

Menopause

  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Patient Surveys for Menopause

Symptoms of Menopause: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Menopause.


Menopause: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Many menopausal women are asymptomatic but some have severe symptoms. The decline in ovarian function and consequent decreased estrogen level produce menstrual irregularities: a decrease in the amount and duration of menstrual flow, spotting, and episodes of amenorrhea and polymenorrhea (possibly with hypermenorrhea). Irregularities may last a few months or persist for several years before menstruation ceases permanently.

The following body system changes may occur (usually after the permanent cessation of menstruation):

❑ Reproductive system: Menopause may cause shrinkage of vulval structures and loss of subcutaneous fat, possibly leading to atrophic vulvitis; atrophy of vaginal mucosa and flattening of vaginal rugae, possibly causing bleeding after coitus or douching; vaginal itching and discharge from bacterial invasion; and loss of capillaries in the atrophying vaginal wall, causing the pink, rugal lining to become smooth and white. Menopause may also produce excessive vaginal dryness and dyspareunia due to decreased lubrication from the vaginal walls and decreased secretion from Bartholin’s glands; smaller ovaries and oviducts; and progressive pelvic relaxation as the supporting structures lose their tone due to the absence of estrogen.

ELDER TIP As a woman ages, atrophy causes the vagina to shorten and the mucous lining to become thin, dry, less elastic, and pale as a result of decreased vascularity. In addition, the pH of vaginal secretions increases, making the vaginal environment more alkaline. The type of flora also changes, increasing the older woman’s chance of vaginal infections.

❑ Urinary system: Atrophic cystitis due to the effects of decreased estrogen levels on bladder mucosa and related structures may cause pyuria, dysuria, and urinary frequency, urgency, and incontinence. Urethral carbuncles from loss of urethral tone and mucosal thinning may cause dysuria, meatal tenderness, and hematuria.

❑ Mammary system: Breast size decreases.

❑ Integumentary system: The patient may experience loss of skin elasticity and turgor due to estrogen deprivation, loss of pubic and axillary hair and, occasionally, slight alopecia.

❑ Autonomic nervous system: The patient may exhibit hot flashes and night sweats (in 60% of women), vertigo, syncope, tachycardia, dyspnea, tinnitus, emotional disturbances (irritability, nervousness, crying spells, fits of anger), and exacerbation of pre-existing depression, anxiety, and compulsive, manic, or schizoid behavior.

Menopause may also induce atherosclerosis, and a decrease in estrogen level contributes to osteoporosis.

Ovarian activity in younger women is believed to provide a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, and the loss of this function at menopause may partly explain the increased death rate from myocardial infarction in older women. Also, estrogen has been found to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Menopause:

Menopause: NWHIC (Excerpt)

The transformation into the beauty of mid life usually doesn't happen all at once. In perimenopause, or the transition period to menopause, the production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate, causing a variety of symptoms, including hot flashes and mood swings. During this time, a woman may or may not have a period. (Source: excerpt from Menopause: NWHIC)

Menopause: NWHIC (Excerpt)

While many women have little or no trouble with menopause, others have moderate to severe discomfort. Some women may experience troublesome symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. Hot flashes, caused by fluctuating hormones, have become the hallmark symptom of menopause. Hot flashes are a sudden flush or warmth, often followed by sweating. This is caused by hormonal changes and their effect on your body's natural regulation of its temperature. It is good to try to have a sense of humor as you constantly feel the need to shed clothing to cool off, but in fact hot flashes can cause serious discomfort and sleepless nights for some women.

Other classic symptoms of menopause that you might experience:

  • Sleep problems;

  • Depression and mood swings;

  • Vaginal problems, including vaginal dryness and irritation that can cause pain during intercourse and gynecological exams, as well as frequent vaginal infections;

  • Urinary problems, including burning or pain when urinating, or stress incontinence, the weakening of tissues in the urinary tract which causes urine to leak when sneezing, coughing, or laughing;

  • Memory loss;

  • Changes in sex drive and sexual response;

  • Weight gain;

  • Hair loss; or

  • "Spotting" and abnormal bleeding (usually normal, but should be reported to your doctor).

Some women find that they gain weight or that their hair thins after menopause. Some symptoms, such as memory problems or feeling sad could have causes that are unrelated to menopause. If you are having these symptoms, it is important to discuss them with your health care provider. And although changes in bleeding are normal as you near menopause, abnormal bleeding should also be reported to your health care provider, since this could be a sign of other problems.

A lack of estrogen during menopause also causes the bones to lose calcium and become weaker, putting women at risk for severe bone loss or osteoporosis. (Before menopause, you need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day. After menopause, you need 1,500 per day.) A lack of estrogen also causes an increased risk of developing heart disease. (Source: excerpt from Menopause: NWHIC)

Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Although very rare before the age of 40, menopause can happen anytime from your 30’s to your mid-50’s or even later. Smokers often begin menopause earlier than non-smokers. If you have both ovaries removed (bilateral oophorectomy) during a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), you may have the symptoms of menopause right away, no matter your age. Once your uterus is removed, your periods will stop. (Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

The event that marks menopause is your final menstrual period. You will know for sure that you have experienced menopause when you have not had a period in a year. Only then can you be sure that you are no longer able to get pregnant. (Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause a variety of symptoms. You may have little or no trouble with hot flashes or other signs of menopause. Some women, however, have slight discomfort or worse. Common changes you might have are:

Irregular periods.One of the first signs is a change in your periods. They may become less regular. They could be lighter. Some women have short times of heavy bleeding. These are all fairly common. Very heavy bleeding for many days, periods less than 3 weeks apart, periods that last longer than 10 days, or spotting between periods may also happen. Check with your doctor if you find any of this troublesome.

Hot flashes.A hot flash or flush is common in perimenopause. Possibly 80 % of American women have them. Suddenly you feel heat in the upper part or all of your body. Your face and neck become flushed. Red blotches may appear on your chest, back, and arms. Heavy sweating and cold shivering can follow. Flashes can be as mild as a light blush or severe enough to wake you from a sound sleep (called night sweats). Most flashes last 30 seconds to 5 minutes. They should disappear within a few years after menopause.

Problems with the vagina and bladder. Body tissue in the genital area becomes drier and thinner as estrogen levels change. Sexual intercourse might become painful for you because of this dryness. You might also be more likely to have an infection in your vagina. As you get older, you may begin to have urinary tract problems. These could be more infections, trouble holding urine when you feel the need to go to the bathroom (urge incontinence), or problems holding urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh, run, or step down (stress incontinence). If you have any of these problems, see your doctor.

Sex.Until you have gone 1 year without a period, you should still use birth control if you do not want to become pregnant. Around the time of menopause, your feelings about sex might change. You might have trouble becoming sexually aroused because of hormone changes, discomfort due to changes in the vagina, or medicines you are taking. Or, you might feel freer and sexier after menopause---relieved that pregnancy is no longer a worry. Remember that after menopause you can still get sexually-transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Fatigue and sleep problems. Feeling tired is another common symptom. You might have trouble getting to sleep, waking early, or getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. Women may be awakened by night sweats or the need to go to the bathroom.

Mood changes.Some people think that women may be more moody, irritable, or depressed around the time of menopause. There might be a connection between changes in the estrogen level and your emotions. Other causes for these mood shifts might be stress, family changes such as children leaving home, and feeling tired.

Changes in your body. Visible changes with menopause may include a thickening at the waist, loss of muscle mass and increase in fat tissue, or thinning and loss of stretchiness in the skin.

Other possible signs.Some women may experience headaches, memory problems, and joint and muscle stiffness or pain.

(Source: excerpt from Menopause - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Menopause as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Menopause, it is also important to consider Menopause as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Menopause may cause:

- (Source - Diseases Database)

Menopause as a symptom:

For a more detailed analysis of Menopause as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Menopause.

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Menopause:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Menopause. This signs and symptoms information for Menopause has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Menopause signs or Menopause symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Menopause may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Menopause symptoms.


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