Women experience a wide variety of symptoms from the time they first experience perimenopause to being post-menopausal. And being post-menopausal does not mean the symptoms stop. The following are some, but not all, the symptoms that women talk about:

Hot flashes and night sweats

Bloating

Breast sensitivity

Decreased sex drive

Vaginal dryness

Irritability and mood swings

Anxiety

Depression

Itching

Joint pain-frozen shoulder

Disturbed sleep

Tingling sensations in the hands and feet

Irregular heart beat

Weight gain

Brittle nails

Incontinence

Memory lapses-brain fog

dizziness

Allergies

Change in voice as the vocal chords change

Body odor changes

Loss of bone density

On average a woman enters menopause at the age of 51. African American women tend to enter menopause earlier. There is some relief in Hormone Replacement Therapist for women without risk factors, including breast cancer history. However, be aware of where your hormones come from. Plants have hormones and can be helpful while some hormones are taken from pregnant horses and that is a nightmare.

It’s important for women to be able to talk to their doctors about how they feel and what options are available to them. The Change, as it was called for many years impacts all parts of a women’s life. Physically and biologically she is changing. Emotionally it can be a rollercoaster. Her social life may change and her relationships shift as what was tolerable in the past becomes intolerable.

In general it’s not easy for women to find time for themselves, but this is a time when self-care is so important. It’s not uncommon that a woman experiencing menopause at the same time is caring for others. She could be a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend. She may be an employee or a business owner. There is often a household to keep up and other responsibilities that fall on her plate. This is a call out to women to pay attention to themselves and get support when needed.

There are several books in print about menopause. Here are just a few. There are also many titles within the library system.

“The Menopause Years, The Wise Women’s Way,” by Susan S. Weed

“The New Menopause,” by Mary Claire Haver, MD

“The Menopause Manifesto,” by Jen Gunter, MD

“The Black Women’s Guide to Menopause,” by Caroline Scott Brown

“The only Menopause Book You’ll Need,” by Michele Moore, MD

“The Hormone Repair Manual,” by Lara Briden, ND