Should You Be Concerned About Your Mood Swings? Heath OH

What's happening to you lately? One minute you're on top of the world, the next you're ready to rage at anyone who crosses you. You're up, you're down, you're happy, you're irritable—didn't you leave this all behind in middle school?

What's happening is, in a word, hormones. Our hormones change throughout our lives, rising and falling during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, post-pregnancy, and menopause. And while hormonal variations are a necessary part of life, an unfortunate consequence of all that shifting is mood swings. Not every woman gets them, of course, but they're common. And according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women who were prone to mood swings around the time of their periods or during or after pregnancy are more likely to experience mood swings as they transition into menopause. These women are naturally more sensitive to hormonal changes.

When does all this happen? For many women, perimenopause—the period of years leading up to the actual cessation of your period—begins in the late thirties and forties. Although you still menstruate, your cycles may become somewhat erratic, and you may notice your body changing in different ways. You may:

• Gain weight more easily, especially around your abdomen
• Have hot flashes
• Experience vaginal dryness
• Notice your hair thinning or falling out
• Find new hair growth on your face
• Sleep less soundly
• Experience forgetfulness or fuzzy thinking

All of these changes are due to see-sawing hormones—the same hormones that are causing your mood swings...

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