Dealing with the Most Common Menopause Symptoms

In recent years, a woman going through "the change" was not the topic of a lot of conversation. In fact, when they did talk among themselves about certain physical conditions, a nod with a knowing smile was generally all the proof a woman needed that they were approaching menopause. Typically, a woman in her early 40's who complained about having hot flashes or seemed to be losing interest in sex with their spouse was considered to be heading towards the menopause years. While many were filled with the dread of spending the next 10 years waiting for it to be over, others view the post-menopause years as something to look forward to.

Age is a consideration when determining if many of the symptoms are caused by perimenopause or a medical problem. In some cases tests are run to rule out other ailments that share some of the common menopause symptoms. One of the most common symptoms, hot flashes, can present itself in a variety of degrees and is usually accompanied by flushing, especially in the face. The feeling of being overheated can begin at any time, often without any strenuous activity to which it can be attributed.

Premenstrual syndrome, commonly referred to as PMS, may become worse in many as they go through perimenopause. Many will also experience breast tenderness and a decrease in their sex drive, or loss of libido. Some will also experience vaginal dryness and sex can be painful. Mood swings are another one of the more common menopause symptoms; however some blame this on a feeling of fatigue or lack of sleep.

While some physicians push the need for hormone replacement therapy to help ease the many common menopause symptoms, a majority of women are reluctant to undergo this treatment due to the side effects that can be presented. While there is little doubt that the adjustment of reduced hormone production is the root cause of the common menopause symptoms, many believe hormone replacement causes more problems than they help.

Since not all women suffer from all of the common menopause symptoms, they are more likely to look to natural products for relief of the symptoms that they are suffering. When menopause symptoms first became the topic of open discussion there were numerous synthetic hormones developed and tried as pharmaceutical companies looked for a cure for perimenopause. What many women soon realized is that there can be no cure for the natural function of the body as it eases out of the reproductive stage of a woman's life.

Instead of attempting to add the hormones, which were soon blamed on many other health issues, finding a way to deal with the common menopause symptoms was a more sought-after option. Using herbs and other botanicals to help reduce the incidents of hot flashes for instance, is more agreeable to most women that do not suffer many of the other common menopause symptoms. Dealing with each symptom as it arises with natural products is more widely accepted than using synthetic products that claim to deal with all of the symptoms, regardless of the individual need.