Menopause is a natural thing that happens to every woman as she ages. Although it is natural, it is not necessarily easy. Menopause is a general term used to describe the time when a woman stops menstruating. This is the time period when a woman becomes no longer fertile.
Generally speaking, menopause occurs after the age or during the age of 40. Once menopause occurs, a woman’s ovaries are no longer producing eggs and the woman will no longer experience as menstruation. Although menopause is considered natural, occasionally something called premature menopause can occur.
Premature menopause is any type of menopause that occurs prior to the age of 40. This type of menopause can be caused by things such as chemotherapy, because this damages the ovaries, and surgical procedures such as hysterectomies. A hysterectomy causes premature menopause because it eliminates a woman's ability to reproduce and may affect her ovary production.
The Stages of Menopause
Although menopause is generally thought of as a one step process, it actually occurs in several stages. Perimenopause is the first stage which actually starts several years prior to menopause. During perimenopause, and the ovaries gradually start to produce less estrogen.
Perimenopause eventually leads to menopause; this is when the ovaries actually completely stop producing eggs. Postmenopause is what occurs after menopause. During this stage, many symptoms of menopause will be reduced somewhat.
Symptoms of Menopause
Although menopause is a natural occurrence, it is by no means a comfortable one. Although different women have different levels of severity of symptoms when menopause occurs, in many women these symptoms can be severe. The symptoms include insomnia, mood swings, headaches, changes in libido, irritability, fatigue, depression, mood swings, and even bladder control issues. Not all women experience every symptom, although many women experience menopause and insomnia.
One of the most frustrating symptoms of menopause is insomnia. Menopause and insomnia occur when a person either cannot fall asleep for falls asleep yet wakes up, far before they should. This can be very frustrating as it can lead to other symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, depression, and irritability. Dealing with menopause and insomnia can be particularly frustrating because many of the pills used to treat it can become addictive. Dealing with lack of sleep can affect every part of a person's life; menopause and insomnia together can be very difficult for any woman to handle.
If a woman is experiencing menopause and insomnia, or any other symptoms of menopause, she should consult her doctor as he or she may have a method to treat it and relieve some of her symptoms.
|
