Mood Swings link to Menopause

Mood swings? Aren’t those reserved for all the disaffected tweens who have to deal with insensitive boyfriends who dumped them for the head cheerleader (who isn’t even a real blond!) on Valentine’s Day, of all days? Why are they still cropping up in women who traded their high-school melodrama for babies and careers (in no particular order) decades ago?

Unfortunately, mood swings –characterized by a rapid and sometimes inexplicable change mood – can still affect mature women, especially in the years surrounding menopause. Below, please find information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of mood swings.

Causes of Mood Swings in Menopause

menopausal mood swings By far the most common cause of mood swings during menopause is hormone fluctuations. Levels of estrogen (the female sex hormone) and serotonin (a hormone responsible for regulating mood) are in constant, erratic motion during the years preceding menopause and are the primary culprits of the mood swings women may experience during this time.

On top of the physiological causes of mood swings, many menopausal women also suffer from fatigue and stress brought on by external factors –families, careers, finances, etc. These factors can significantly aggravate the mood swings a woman is already experiencing due to hormone imbalances.

Mood swings do not look the same in all women, however, and it’s important for women to understand which symptoms they experience and in what degree and combination to fully determine the best direction to take treatment-wise.

Symptoms of Mood Swings in Menopause

Women all experience menopause and its symptoms differently, though a few nearly universal symptoms of mood swings. Symptoms of mood swings include:

menopausal mood swings • Frequent mood changes
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Inexplicable emotions
• Lack of motivation
• Increased stress
• General sadness, depression, or melancholy

Treatment for Mood Swings in Menopause

Women experience any combinations of the above symptoms do not have to suffer in silence. A wide variety of treatments exist to help women harness their distracting and uncomfortable menopause symptoms, such as mood swings, and regain their former vitality.

Ranging from the mildest forms of treatment to the more severe, menopause treatments for mood swings can be divided into three different levels. These are:

• Lifestyle changes
• Alternative medicines
• Prescription drugs

Women who want to do something about their menopause symptoms, like mood swings, can research these different forms of treatment and talk to a trusted doctor to determine which form of treatment matches her individual symptoms, goals, and health history.