Are my mood swings a symptom of menopause?

One of the top six menopause symptoms and, without doubt, one of the most uncomfortable that a menopausal woman is likely to come across during this transition is mood swings. Anywhere from half to three-quarters of all women between 45 and 55 admit to struggling to control their mood from time to time.

However, does menopause always trigger mood swings or can they be a result of a different problem? The truth is that there are multiple risk factors linked to the symptom of mood swings and, although not all menopause-related, they are exacerbated by this transition.

What you need to know

Any abrupt fluctuation in a person’s mood is defined as being a mood swing and, during this time, emotions will run differently to the norm. When entering menopause, much like pregnancy, this is more common because of the imbalance of hormones within your body.

Symptoms vary from woman to woman, and the most common include: fluctuating emotions, sadness, lack of motivation, loss of patience, anxiety, stress, aggression and irritability. Knowing the symptoms is important, but it’s also important to know what the causes of these are.

Causation

As with anything, it can be a domino effect that leads to a mood swing, or to some the cause may be completely different to someone else. The most common causes are:

Menopause

PMS and menopause are the most common reasons for mood swings. The hormonal change, and a decrease in estrogen, is the problem at this stage.

Depression

Sometimes this can be an extreme cause for mood swings, other times it’s just a day, week or month getting you down and you mood changes.

Sleep Apnea

When your breathing is interrupted during sleep, you get fatigue and also emotional disorders.

Pregnancy

We all know this one. The stereotypical mood swings reason, it’s true but maybe not the most common.

Bipolar Disorder

Sometimes, mood swings can be an indicator of a more worrying condition. If you have been suffering from them for a long time it may be best to check this option.

Stress

At the same time, mood swings can also just be another part of life. The stresses of your day to day activity can run you down.

Alongside this, you could place multiple others like: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and polycystic ovary syndrome, but ultimately it is lifestyle and hormones that make all the difference.

How to treat your mood swings

The most likely scenario is that your mood swings are a result of your menopause. It’s the hormonal imbalance that knocks everything out of place and leads you to being more susceptible to things like hot flashes, irregular periods and vaginal dryness. Click the following link for information about treatments for mood swings.