When we start reaching forty we begin to wonder if those mood swings and fatigue are signs of the perils of menopause. There is a great deal of folklore about that often too dreaded word,"menopause". Those who discuss menopause as the great'" change of life" many times indicate make up think we go to bed vital young women and wake up dried up spinsters. The one fact is for most women it is a long drawn out process that leaves them confused about when pre menopause becomes menopause and what symptoms they are experiencing are part of the process of entering this stage of life.

The amount of menopause symptoms will vary a great deal for women to women. Most women will experience hot flashes and night sweats. Most will not experience any really dramatic symptoms at all. Some of the effects are more of our own attitudes about our ageing reproduction system and not a result of the biological changes of menopause. That depression you experience; may be over your attitude and self confidence in your personal sex appeal It does not make the depression less real, just not really related to you physically ageing.

One common myth about menopause is that your post menopausal women are not as sharp in regard to memory as younger women. Some women do experience some memory loss during early menopause possibly related to hormone changes and the resulting depression. Most women find this situation temporary and their memory returns to normal after their body becomes more hormonally stable. Of course all of us become a little forgetful as we age. Serious and dramatic cognitive changes should be checked out by your doctor because you really can not pass them off as being a result of menopause and not a result of hormones.

Weight gain can be a real side effect of menopause. Dropping estrogen levels cause fat to be disturbed differently. Your internal fat burning engines slows as your metabolism slows down. Again, if the weight gain is dramatic and accompanied by dry skin or fatigue, you may need to have your thyroid checked. Women who use hormone replacement therapy many times experience less weight gain Still if you don't do HRT that has its own inherent risks'; you can simply try to jump start your metabolism with a little more exercise.

Smoking can cause women to go into early menopause. Of course this is not true for all women smokers, but if you need another reason to quit here it is. If you quit before middle age you are less likely to go into early menopause. Early menopause puts women smokers at a greater risk for osteoporosis and heart disease. Smokers are at higher risks for these things on their own, anyway. Stopping smoking now will lower your overall risk for these conditions.

The age your grandmother or mother entered menopause can be a way to pinpoint of when you may go into menopause, but it is not full proof. Dietary and lifestyle changes in recent generations may change when you are going to enter the "change of life. " There is a genetic connection, but when you start period is probably a better predictor rather you will enter menopause early or late. Women who start to menstruate young are more likely to take longer to enter menopause.

Lastly, some women believe their sex drive will lesson during menopause .Again, this probably is more an issue of self image than menopause. Many women have a greater sex drive during early menopause because of the increase testosterone to estrogen hormone levels. Some post menopausal women actually feel more sexually freed because of the loss of the fear of pregnancy.

There are many things you can do to make the menopausal process easier. Most of them are common sense like, right, rest, and get exercise. If mood swings become a big issue for you talk to your doctor. Wear light clothing to bed to make night sweats more bearable. You can try natural remedies or consider HRT if things become unbearable. HRT is a big decision because you may put yourself at risk for certain kinds of cancers that you would normally not be at great of risk for. You and your doctor are the best people to decide what is to be done when you feel menopause has taken control of your life.

http://www.in.gov/isdh/18106.htm Government facts about menopause. Lots of interesting statistics.

http://www.workingwell.org.au/women-menopause.html Depression and menopause management.

http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/winter05/manage.html

Journal article discussing the issues peri menopausal women and post menopausal women want to manage with their doctors.

http://www.womentowomen.com/understandyourbody/symptoms/default.aspx?id=1&campaignno=menopause&adgroup=ag14misspell&keywords=menapause\

discussion of natural and practical methods of managing menopausal