Hot Flashes

If you’re a guy, you may want to turn away now.

It seems I’m in the beginning states of menopause and at the age of 46 I know it’s to be expected.  The past year or two I have had really irregular periods.  I started my period at the age of 12 as most young girls do.  At that young age I couldn’t wait for it all to come to an end.  After all who wants a visit from some bitch (period) that shows up to disrupt your life for 4-7 days and then leaves, not only to come back a month later and every month for approximately the next 40 years / 480 visits.    Okay I will admit in my younger days there were times when she would show up and I would be thankful she was just late on arrival.  There was even once or twice where she skipped her whole trip and I thought something was wrong with her (pregnant) thankfully she was okay and made her visit the next month.  I had one time where the bitch stayed for about 45 days, she just wouldn’t leave.  I know I am a loving person but damn I need to draw the line somewhere and kick you out.

The past couple of weeks I have been having hot flashes.  The AC will even be on in our home and all the sudden out of no where I start to heat up and my face starts to sweat, thankfully like they say it does seem to last only a few minutes.  I do have an appointment with my doctor later this month so I will make sure to also bring this up then.  Getting hot flashes is something I have never looked forward to, because I already run warm as a bigger girl lol.

Here are all the things that I or any of us women do not look forward to:

• Irregular periods: Periods becoming shorter, longer, heavier, lighter. Skipping periods.
• Hot flashes: A hot flash is a sudden, sometimes intense feeling of heat that rushes to your face and upper body. Hot flashes can be really uncomfortable, but they usually only last a few minutes. They can happen a few times a day, a few times a week, or a few times a month.
• Night sweats: Hot flashes that wake you up in the middle of the night.
• Sleep problems: You may have insomnia — trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. You may also start to wake up much earlier than you used to.
• Vaginal changes: The lining of your vagina may become thinner, drier, or less stretchy. This can cause dryness or discomfort during sex.
• Urinary or bladder infections:  You may have to pee more often or get more frequent urinary tract or bladder infections.
• Mood changes: Hormone changes can make you feel anxious, irritable, and tired. Your sex drive might change, too.
• Weaker bones: Your bones will probably weaken during menopause. If it’s really bad, it can lead to osteoporosis after menopause. Getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D, and exercising for at least 30 minutes most days of the week can help you maintain bone health.