 The Signs and Symptoms of the Menopause Transition The are three primary estrogenic compounds, estradiol, estriol and estrone which coincide with the phases of a woman's life. Estradiol is the predominate estrogen produced during a woman's reproductive years. Estriol reaches its highest level during pregnancy and estrone is the predominant estrogen after menopause. The menopausal transition is period during which there is a gradual shift from estradiol to estrone as being the more dominate estrogenic compound. For most women this transition starts to occurs around age 45 (peri-menopause) and is noted by changes in the menstrual cycle and symptoms listed below.
Estrogen receptors are similar to open windows which allow the hormone estrogen to flow to specific organs and tissues. If a tissue/organ does not have a specific estrogen receptor, the hormone estrogen will not affect that particular tissue/organ.
Estrogen receptors are located in the brain, breast, heart, blood vessels, uterus, vagina, bladder, liver, bones, skin and gastrointestinal tract. During the menopausal transition, the hormonal shift from estradiol to estrone effects a variety of physiological changes in these estrogen sensitive tissues, which may present as symptoms for many women.
Perimenopause Hormonal Symptoms
Estrogen and progesterone counterbalance each other throughout the menstrual cycle, with one hormone decreasing while the other rises. Estrogen levels rise during the first half of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone levels rise during the second half of the cycle. Peri-menopausal the first hormonal change that occurs is a gradual decline in levels of progesterone, while estrogen levels remain normal or even increase. The overall decline in progesterone allows estrogen levels to go unopposed, without the usual counterbalance. The result is a relative excess of estrogen or estrogen dominance.
The following are symptoms of diminished progesterone and estrogen dominance. These symptoms tend to occur during peri-menopause while menstrual bleeding, although often irregular is still occurring.
Bloating/water retention, breast tenderness
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Irregular menstrual cycles
Menstrual cycles that are closer together
Depression, irritability, anxiety
Bilateral pounding headache, especially premenstrually
Premenstrual and/or menstrual hot flashes
Weight gain particularly around abdomen and hips
Decreased sex drive, cold hands and feet
Menstrual fluid, cramps, clotting, changes in menstrual blood color are often points of concern for women during perimenopause. As such, a separate page has been dedicated to issues of menstrual blood etc. Menstrual Fluid and such ... 
Understanding Changes in Hormones at Menopause and Postmenopause.
Around the time when menstrual bleeding stops, or there are longer intervals between cycles, estrogen levels begin to decrease causing symptoms that are different then during peri-menopause. The following are symptoms of diminished estrogen (estradiol).
Hot flashes, night sweats
Mental fog, anxiety, dizzy spells
Headaches and migraines
Heart palpitations, difficulty breathing
Sleep disruptions
Dry eyes and skin, thinning hair
Urinary tract infection
Vaginal dryness, burning & itching, vaginal wall thinning
Painful intercourse, decreased sexual desire and response
Heart palpitations are often a specific point of concern for women during the menopausal transition. As such, a separate page has been dedicated to heart palpitations during menopause.
Irregular heartbeat:Menopause. Significant advances in understanding menopausal physiology have lead to a variety of therapeutic options to help women ease through this natural transition. The educational material presented provides information regarding the cause of the symptoms and therapeutic options to help minimize or eliminate the symptoms and/or discomfort associated with the menopausal transition.
Keep in mind, menopause is a natural phase. It is not a disease, and for the most part does not require medical attention. However, when symptoms interfere with daily function, there are a variety of therapeutic options that can be discussed with a healthcare provider that will help ease through this transition.
Source:
Menopause
Susan D. Reed MD., MPH and Elica L.Sutton, MD
Clinical Review ACP Medicine October 2004
ISSN:1547-1659
| revised May 2008 For Info About Perimenopausal or Menopausal Consultations click For Info about my Bio-identical Natural Progesterone Gift Package click For Info about my Bio-identical Natural Estrogen Gift Package click The bio-identical hormone replacement creams I am offering provide significantly more bio-availability than the hormone creams offered at health food stores. I am pleased to be able to provide a potent, non-prescription bio-identical natural hormone replacement to help women ease thru the menopause transition . . . naturally. 
Diminished estrogen is associated
with hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia,
and vaginal dryness & discomfort
in up to 85% of menopausal women.
A good quality non-prescription bio-identical estrogen or progesterone cream, or prescription bio-identical hormone replacement are both effective interventions for the management of these symptoms. Keep in mind, many women are able to significantly ease hot flashes by utilizing dietary and herbal supplements such as isoflavones found in organic soy milk and soy nuts, flaxseed and pycnogenol. For an overview click here. 
What is menopause?
Menopause results from alterations in
ovarian function due to diminished fertility.
Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when the ovaries stop producing eggs. As a result the body produces less estrogen and very little progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.
The menopause transition is the gradual close of a women's reproductive life as egg production by the ovaries becomes depleted. The physiological changes and symptoms that many women experience during the menopausal transition result from erratic or diminished hormone production. These hormonal changes are often grouped/categorized into three phases: peri-menopause, menopause and postmenopause.
Peri-menopause is the 3 to 5 year period prior to menopause during which estrogen levels begin to drop.
Menopause is noted by the natural
and permanent cessation of menstruation for twelve consecutive months.
Postmenopause is the time after
a woman has experienced twelve months without a period.
The menopausal transition has an average duration of 4 years. The average age at which menopause occurs in the United States is 51 years. Approximately 95% of women experience menopause by 55 years of age.
Source:
Menopause
Susan D. Reed MD., MPH and Elica L.Sutton, MD
Clinical Review ACP Medicine October 2004
ISSN:1547-1659
Source:
National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000894.htm
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