But the reason for these emotional problems isn’t always clear. Research shows that menopausal symptoms such as sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue can affect mood and well-being. The drop in estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause might also affect mood. Or it could be a combination of hormone changes and menopausal symptoms.

But changes in mood also can have causes that are unrelated to menopause. If you are having emotional problems that are interfering with your quality of life, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. Talk openly with your doctor about the other things going on in your life that might be adding to your feelings. Other things that could cause feelings of depression and/or anxiety during menopause include:

• Having depression before menopause
• Feeling negative about menopause and getting older
• Increased stress
• Having severe menopausal symptoms
• Smoking
• Not being physically active
• Not being happy in your relationship or not being in a relationship
• Not having a job
• Not having enough money
• Having low self-esteem (how you feel about yourself)
• Not having the social support you need
• Feeling disappointed that you can’t have children anymore

Source: Womenshealth.gov

Menopause is the point in time when a woman’s menstrual periods stop. Menopause happens because the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Once you have gone through menopause, you can’t get pregnant anymore. Some people call the years leading up to a woman’s last period menopause, but that time actually is the menopausal transition, or perimenopause.

During the time of the menopausal transition (perimenopause), your periods can stop for a while and then start again. Therefore, the only way to know if you have gone through menopause is if you have not had your period for one year. (And it’s not menopause if your periods stop for some other reason, like being sick.) The average age of menopause is 51, but for some women it happens as early as 40 or as late as 55.

After you go through menopause, you are considered in the post-menopausal stage of your life. Your female hormones won’t go up and down the way they used to with your periods. They will stay at very low levels.

Source: Office on Women’s Health

Changes in sexuality at this time of life have several possible causes, including:

• Decreased hormones can make vaginal tissues drier and thinner, which can make sex uncomfortable.
• Decreased hormones may reduce sex drive.
• Night sweats can disturb a woman’s sleep and make her too tired for sex.
• Emotional changes can make a woman feel too stressed for sex.

Keep in mind that being less interested in sex as you get older is not a medical condition that needs treatment. But if you are upset about sexual changes, you can get help. Don’t be shy about talking with your doctor or nurse. They certainly have talked with many women about these issues before.

Source: The Office on Women’s Health

One women states that she was thrilled because the years of cramps and bloating have ended. How nervous you feel, you will make it through. It’s just like child birth, no classes can prepare you for the real thing. When you go through it, it might not be all that nad. Menopause is part of a woman’s life. You should celebrate and embrace it as you’re going to enter a new chapter of your life.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Try to notice what triggers your hot flashes and avoid those things. Possible triggers to consider include spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, stress, or being in a hot place. If possible, dress in layers and remove some when you feel a flash starting. Buy a fan and place it in your workplace and at home. It’ll make a big difference when hot flashes are triggered. If you still have menstrual periods, ask your doctor if you might take low-dose birth control pills. These may help symptoms and prevent pregnancy.

There are also medical help. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats. Ask your doctor if the benefits of MHT outweigh the risks for you. If MHT is not an option for you, ask your doctor about prescription medicines that are usually used for other conditions. These include antidepressants, epilepsy medicine, and blood pressure medicine.

Lastly, when a flash starts, don’t panic, try taking slow and deep breaths. Also if you’re overweight, losing weight might help with hot flashes, according to one recent study.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

• Try to get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day. Keep your room cool and dark. Use your bed only for sleeping and sex. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, large meals, or physical activity before bed.
• Engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Set limits for yourself, and look for positive ways to unwind and ease daily stress. Try relaxation techniques, reading a book, or spending some quiet time outdoors.
• Talk to your friends or go to a support group for women who are going through the same thing as you. You also can get counseling to talk through your problems and fears.
• Ask your doctor about therapy or medicines. Menopausal hormone therapy can reduce symptoms that might be causing your moodiness. Antidepressants might also help.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hot flashes happen around the time of menopause. They may be related to changing estrogen levels. Hot flashes may last a few years after menopause. A hot flash is a sudden feeling of 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 very mild or strong enough to wake you from your sleep which is called night sweats. Most hot flashes last between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. You may experience it even after menopause. The good news is that eventually the symptoms do go away.

Source: National Institute on Aging

There are symptoms that are associated with menopause, such as period changes, hot flashes, night sweats, trouble falling asleep at night, mood swings, hair loss, and facial hair growth.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Regular exercise can also improve your mood and help you sleep better at night. Make an exercise plan and stick to it. It is recommended that older adults do 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic physical activity each week. You can also substitute it for 1.5 hour vigorous aerobic physical exercise. Keeping an active exercise schedule might be easier than you think. Even with busy schedule, most women can find 2 hours each week for themselves.

During menopause women undergo a lot of hormonal changes in their body. Some women have symptoms before the start of menopause while others will not have any noticeable changes. Normally during menopause, women have hot flushes especially at night. The body becomes warm and they sweat profusely. Other symptom is vaginal dryness. Doctor will prescribe some lubricants to deal with it. Another symptom is headaches, and depression. They get irritated for no reason at all. Skin become dry and looses its elasticity.

Extra care should be taken by using moisturizers. Women should prepare themselves for menopause. They should remind themselves that they are under going hormonal changes in their body, which causes uneasiness in them.

Women have a tendency to have osteoporosis, in which, their bones become brittle there is a chance of fracturing their bones easily on falling. Calcium supplement is what they need. One should start taking lots of milk once they have the symptoms of menopause.