What Are The Symptoms Of Menopause?
The following symptoms are the main indicators that you may be entering or experiencing the menopause:
- Irregular periods
- Infertility
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Insomnia/disrupted sleep
- Palpitations
- Weight gain (especially around waist and abdomen)
- Skin and hair changes (dryness, thinning)
- Headaches
- Breast tenderness
- Mood swings and irritability
- Anxiety/panic attacks
- Loss of self-esteem
- Lowered libido
- Difficulty concentrating and memory lapses
- Fatigue/low energy levels
- Joint/muscle pain
- Vaginal dryness and urinary infections
- Depression
If you have not already been diagnosed and are concerned, your GP can offer a series of blood tests to measure your level of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).
FSH levels above 30 iu/l (international units per litre of blood) are an indicator that the ovaries are failing and menopause is approaching or has happened.
The usual level of FSH for a woman who is premenopausal is 10 iu/l or less.
To find out more about FSH see Hormones.