Menopause symptoms can appear suddenly and as subtly as an uninvited guest who decides to never leave. And if no one warned you that one day you'd wake up transformed into a hotter, hungrier, more hormonal, and more chaotic version of yourself, it can all seem alarming.
If you haven't gone through menopause yet, these are some of the symptoms that many women are familiar with.
1. You are constantly hungry.
You go out for sushi with your family and your order is delayed. Everyone else has finished eating, and your plate still hasn't arrived. Suddenly you feel like you're losing control from hunger and start frantically searching for the waitress.
When she tries to explain that the kitchen is overloaded, you end up arguing with her and then with the manager. At one point you look at yourself from the outside and think, "What's wrong with me?"
Then you immediately regret it and leave a generous tip, even though you never received what you ordered.
2. Your mood is completely unpredictable.
The next day you wonder why your husband and children walk around you cautiously, as if you might explode at any moment.
Going from anger to sensitivity within minutes is one of the most common signs of menopause.
According to gynecologist Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, the constant burden women carry can create emotional and sensory overload, directly affecting mood and health.
3. Heat waves invade
You're having your morning coffee when you suddenly feel like a burning wave is running through your entire body.
The heat starts at your feet, rises up, and covers you from head to toe. All you want to do is get in the fridge for a few minutes.
About 75-80% of women experience hot flashes, night sweats, or migraines during menopause, although the intensity varies from person to person.
4. Everything makes you hungry.
Getting up from your chair makes you hungry. Looking out the window makes you hungry. Sleeping makes you hungry. Even breathing seems to make you hungry.
At some point it may seem like your body is craving food all the time.
5. Crying over the smallest things
One evening you watch a comedy episode on television and suddenly you start thinking about sad scenarios that have nothing to do with what you're watching.
Within minutes you find yourself crying nonstop over something that under normal circumstances wouldn't affect you at all.
6. Television programs no longer entertain you as much as they used to.
The next day you see an advertisement for a horror movie and instead of finding it entertaining, you think humanity has ended if that's what's considered entertainment.
Things that once seemed fun may no longer have the same effect.
7. Feels electric shocks through the body
While cleaning the house, you may feel prickling or small electric shocks in different parts of your body.
Although it sounds strange, some women report exactly this sensation during menopause, like a kind of current suddenly running through the body.
8. It feels like your body is working against you.
One moment you're scorched by the heat, the next you feel frozen.
Hormones seem to have decided to do whatever they want, without any warning.
9. You become overly emotional when you think about your partner.
When the children are asleep and you can't sleep due to insomnia, you may be overcome by a strong feeling of love and fear of losing your partner.
You hug him, you kiss him, and you won't be able to part from him. A few minutes later, the way he breathes while sleeping starts to bother you so much that you ask him to turn over on the other side.
