The most common signs and symptoms of menopause include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, mood changes, weight gain, slowed metabolism, thinning hair, dry skin, heart palpitations, loss of breast fullness, frequent urinary tract infections, and declining fertility. Irregular periods - As estrogen levels decline, periods become less frequent and can be lighter or heavier than usual. It's common to skip periods or have off-cycle spotting. Periods often eventually stop altogether. Hot flashes - Sudden feelings of body heat, flushing, and sweating are very common in perimenopause and menopause. Hot flashes result from estrogen decline and can come and go suddenly and frequently. Wearing light layers and avoiding triggers like stress, caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods can help ease discomfort. Night sweats - Many women experience drenching hot flashes at night leading to night sweats and sleep disruption. Natural fibers, breathable pajamas, keeping the room cooler, and managing stress can provide some relief. Vaginal dryness - Declining estrogen causes thinner, drier vaginal tissues. This can lead to discomfort, pain, itching, more frequent UTIs, and light bleeding during intercourse. Water-based lubricants and moisturizers can help, as can continuing sexual activity to increase blood flow. Difficulty sleeping - The combo of night sweats and changing hormone levels often brings insomnia and frequent waking around the menopause transition. Practicing good sleep habits, limiting caffeine and alcohol, and speaking with a doctor for help if issues persist. Mood changes - It's common to have increased anxiety, irritability, depression, trouble focusing, and memory lapses when hormones shift. Support groups, counseling, meditation apps, or medication can help if mood issues are persistent and affect daily life. Weight gain - With slowing metabolism and aging, many women gain weight during menopause, especially around the midsection. Eating healthy whole foods, cutting back refined carbs and sugar, and staying active helps stall menopause weight gain. Thinning hair - Hair often becomes drier and thinner leading up to and during menopause. Using gentle hair products, taking hair supplements, and styling to maximize fullness can help hair look and feel healthier. Dry skin - Estrogen decline can leave skin drier, flakier, and slower to heal. Using thick creams and ointments instead of lotions, avoiding irritants in products, and staying hydrated keeps skin moisturized. Heart palpitations - Some women experience noticeable heart flutters or pounding from hormone changes. Unless accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, this is usually benign. Stress reduction techniques help minimize episodes. If several bothersome menopause symptoms persist beyond a few months and impact quality of life or ability to work, sleep and function - consult a doctor. They can analyze hormone levels through blood and saliva tests to help diagnose perimenopause or menopause. Symptom management with bioidentical hormones, other medications or nutritional therapies tailored to the individual may help provide relief when lifestyle measures alone prove inadequate. At Balanced Hormone Clinic(), our fully licensed healthcare team compassionately guides women through peri and full menopause with individualized treatment plans to help alleviate troublesome symptoms for a smoother transition. From customized bioidentical hormones, pharmaceutical options, to tailored nutraceuticals, we use the latest medical advancements paired with precision testing and analysis to target the root hormonal imbalances driving bothersome symptoms for lasting relief. Contact us today for a free 15-minute consultation with one of our hormone restoration experts to discuss your situation and options to start feeling like yourself again.
