In order to fully understand early menopause symptoms we need to define what early menopause actually means and in doing so help you to find some meaningful menopause answers.

In medical terminology early menopause refers to the premature failure of the ovaries in a woman's body. Menopause generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 but early menopause can kick in any time between 20 and 40.

Often the cause of early menopause may be a medical procedure such as surgery, radiiation or chemotherapy. If early menopause symptoms occur in the absence of an identifiable medical procedure then it is likely that you are experiencing early menopause.

In this case early menopause symptoms will be similar to those experienced by older women going through the transitional cycle known as perimenopause. The most common early menopause symptoms may therefore be described as follows.

One of the first symptoms noticed by most women in perimenopause is irregular or missed periods. The onset of menopause sees a reduction in the production of estrogen and progesterone. As a result, the monthy release of the egg in the ovary is prevented causing a disruption to the woman's cycle.

The majority of women going through perimenopause experience hot flashes in varying degrees of severity. This can make a woman feel flushed for a time often followed by shivering. For some women dizziness, faintness or heart palpitations may accompany hot flashes. They usually last no longer than ten minutes and some women experience only minimal discomfort.

Many women identify insomnia as one of the main early menopause symptoms. In many cases interruptions to normal sleep patterns may be the result of night sweats brought on by hot flashes. It is also thought that the fluctuating hormone levels associated with perimenopause can affect the sleep cycle.

The good news is, most of these symptoms can be alleviated by a number of tried and tested treatments. Many women experiencing early menopause symptoms prefer to explore the possibilities offered by natural herbal remedies.

You can find out more about the effectiveness of herbs in tackling early menopause symptoms at Healthy Herbals .