Even though most women hate having a monthly menstrual cycle, almost none of them actively look forward to menopause. Menopause is a difficult and trying time for most women. In a lot of ways it can be akin to going through another puberty but, this time, the woman knows exactly what is happening to her and how her menopause symptoms are affecting her loved ones’ lives. It is important that everybody understands the different types of menopause symptoms so that they can help the women in their lives get through the transition as smoothly as possible. The following are symptoms that you should look out for if you or one of the women in your life (girlfriend, wife, mother, sister, daughter) is close to the age where menopause usually starts.

Many women experience an increase in weight gain when they start to go through menopause. Unlike typical weight gain menopause weight gain happens in specific places. It is the thighs and the waist that see the largest weight gain when a woman goes through menopause. This can make a woman’s former waistline to away. Most women hate the idea of gaining weight. It is even more traumatic, however, to gain weight in these areas. If you experience an increase in inches in these areas, especially if you typically "store your weight" somewhere else, you should consult your doctor. You might be starting to show signs of menopause. The human body is in a constant state of change. Once we pass a certain age this becomes more obvious as, we end up needing women’s reading glasses to enjoy a book and we don’t leave the house without tylenol. One of the hardest menopause symptoms to find is the irregular heartbeat. An irregular heartbeat is a heartbeat that will suddenly get faster or slower without your having to do anything to cause the change to happen. One example is of a woman who is sitting still who feels her heart suddenly start racing and then, after a moment, it slows way way down. Some women never notice this symptom. Once in a while a woman will only learn that this has been happening is when she visits the doctor for something else. A doctor checks the woman’s heart during a routine exam and notices that it is not acting as it should. If you are of the right age, this might be a symptom of menopause.

One of the most famous symptoms of menopause is irritability. Do you remember what it was like when you first started to hit puberty–how you suddenly felt cranky and irritated and annoyed by everything all the time? This is pretty much the same thing that a woman who is starting to go through menopause feels. When a woman is of a certain age and, though she is normally very easy going,she starts getting angry and irritated for no apparent reason, she might not be suffering from PMS. It might be a sign that she is going through menopause. You’ll see women at this point simply hiding with a pair of reading sunglasses.

The difficulty of "the change" can be hard to understand. It is one of the hardest things in life a women must endure. In fact, the family and friends of a menopausal woman will endure many of the same challenges. Keep in mind while supporting your significant other that she does not have a say in what is happening to her right now. The way she might behave is an uncontrollable consequence of the changes in her body. Try offering her as much support and understanding as you can muster. When her body has learned to adapt to the changes occuring within it she will slowly balance out again. Recognizing the signs of menopause will help you become more understanding of what’s happening to her and ultimately make the process more manageable for you.