Many women experience menopausal joint pain symptoms. Medical experts have researched the connection between hormonal changes and this kind of pain.

Some women experience joint and muscle pain, mouth discomfort, headaches and some even report heart palpitations. Interestingly, women who suffer tension headaches, abdominal, or facial pain found their symptoms lessened after menopause. Scientists today feel there may indeed be a link between estrogen, hormone levels including their fluctuations and this phenomenon

Menopause and Joint Pain: Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause occurs when a women stops ovulating and her period ceases. Most women reach menopause between 45 and 55 years, with an average age of about 50. However, about 1% reaches it before the age of 40, known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure.

The most apparent changes recorded are in connection with menstrual cycle changes, changes in the bleeding pattern, hot flashes, sweating and urinary problems, such as, incontinence or increased frequency of urination. Dry vagina, mood changes, muscular weakness, joint pains and weight changes are all symptoms of menopause and can cause a great deal of pain as well as general feelings of discomfort in different parts of the body.

Menopause and Irritability: The Risks

Menopause is a very important time in a woman's life and all women who live past 40 must withstand the worst of this condition. A woman's body goes through many changes that can affect her social life, her feelings about herself and her functioning at work. In the past, many misconceptions and myths surrounded menopause but this perception has changed. Now, menopause is accepted as a natural step in the process of aging.

Contrary to the old-fashioned view that life is all downhill after menopause, many women today realize that the years after menopause offer new discoveries and fresh challenges. Modern medical advances have resulted in a wide range of health care choices, especially for joint pain and bone deficiency problems.

These can enhance quality of life during menopause and the decades that follow. It is vital for women to know that menopause itself carries no serious health risks. However, the chance for heart disease and osteoporosis (thinning of the bone due to the inability of the body to produce bone tissue) rises after menopause. Understanding menopause and the range of treatment options can help women make better health decisions.

Menopause and Irritability: Causes and Symptoms

Research has shown that a quarter of women have no problems while going through menopause, while half of the number will have some problems and the remaining quarter of them will have considerable problems including joint pain.

These are usually associated with osteoporosis and arthritis, which results in weakening of the bones and the degeneration of the cartilage between the joints that can fracture easily following a fall.

Fluctuating estrogen levels and poor estrogen clearance, can affect how your joints feel. It stands to reason that some women would also have joint pains in response to the hormone fluctuations so common in perimenopause. It's important to have yourself checked by your primary care physician for either osteoporosis or arthritis.

Menopause and Irritability: Treatment

There are also medications and exercises you can get that will overcome the severest of joint pains related to menopause. Some of these treatments include the use of steroids so it is critical to make this kind of decision in conjunction with your own doctor.

It's also prudent to check for the possibility of side effects from using these drugs and get a second opinion before embarking on a long-term treatment.