Hysterectomy menopause can occur suddenly following the surgical procedure to remove parts of the female reproductive system.

When the uterus and ovaries are removed during a hysterectomy, menopause symptoms will most likely happen immediately rather than coming on gradually. Once the ovaries are removed, periods will no longer occur. Read more »

Hot flashes are perhaps one of the most common symptoms of menopause, about 75% of US women report having hot flashes. A hot flash is simply a sudden surge in body temperature, the skin of the upper torso and the face can become bright red and you will sweat profusely. Sometimes women report their clothes becoming drenched in sweat due to hot flashes. The first time a woman experiences a hot flash can be frightening, some women report feeling like they may be having a heart attack or stroke, which can be very scary indeed.

I think most women are familiar with most of the more common signs of menopause like hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, etc, these are fairly common complaints and widely discussed in articles on menopause. There is a whole category of “weird” symptoms that are also associated with menopause that is not discussed as frequently, they are more rare, but not totally uncommon. It may help to just know that these symptoms are not just “in your head”, they are real.

Some of these less common symptoms include short term memory loss, like forgetting where you left your car keys. Yes, this happens to us all as we get older, but some menopausal women report sometimes feeling overwhelmed by this memory loss. Also, this goes hand in hand with a loss of concentration. Imagine feeling “spacey” for prolonged periods of time. Both of these symptoms cause a lot of women additional anxiety which is also a symptom associated with menopause. Read more »