Developing menopause symptoms before the age of forty are early signs of menopause. Such early menopause could be due to surgical removal of ovaries, chemotherapy treatment for cancer, or due to early failure of ovaries. You therefore experience early signs of menopause much before other women experience normal menopause symptoms.
Menopause symptoms remain the same in cases of early menopause or normal menopause. The most common and early signs of menopause is hot flushes with excessive sweating in the middle of the night. Few other early signs of menopause include:
- Disturbed sleep, irritability and associated tiredness
- Headaches and body aches
- Memory loss and depression
- Vaginal dryness and infections in urinary tract
- Lack of sexual urge and arousal
These early signs of menopause occur due to hormonal imbalances. Although you cannot fight against such early signs of menopause, you can minimize the inherent risks due to such hormonal imbalances. Common fall out of lack of hormones is decreased bone density leading to thinning of bones or osteoporosis. You are therefore at a greater risk of fractures due to early signs of menopause. Sometimes it also increases chances of heart attacks.
How to combat Early Signs of Menopause
You can reduce or sometimes nullify early signs of menopause by adopting a healthier life style. Include many whole grains, fresh vegetables like leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, cucumber, etc., variety of fruits like citrus fruits, apples, berries, plums, etc. in your daily diet. Consume low fat diary products with high calcium content to compensate for the loss of calcium due to onset of the early signs of menopause.
Phytoestrogens are the estrogens available in plant food. Include more of soybeans, tofu, linseed bread, and legumes as these phytoestrogen rich foods can replenish your depleting estrogen levels due to early signs of menopause. Drink around eight glasses of water every day and reduce intake of caffeine products like coffee, tea, etc. to negate the effects of early signs of menopause. Limited consumption of alcohol, less than a glass each day, proves very helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Eating small portions of lean meat, fish, or chicken many times in a week supplies more iron to your body, as early signs of menopause are often the result of lack of sufficient iron levels in your body. Vegetarians can substitute these with increased consumption of leafy vegetables and fruits to keep early signs of menopause at bay.
Another major factor helping in the smooth transition through your early signs of menopause is daily physical exercises for a minimum of half an hour. Brisk walking, dancing, and other simple exercises keep your bones healthy, prevent bone loss, reduce weight gain, improve your heart condition, and develop your overall health. A positive and optimistic approach towards life also helps maintain your balance.
