For most women menopause begins around age 45, with the process completing approximately seven to ten years later, depending upon the women. However, one woman out of every one hundred experience early menopause symptoms. Depending on the age of the woman, these symptoms can be misinterpreted or missed completely, especially if the woman is very young. Here are some of the signs to watch for to detect early menopause.

1- The most commonly noticed early menopause symptom is irregular bleeding. However, this is the most unpredictable symptom as well; it is different for every woman. Some women experience occasional bleeding, excessive bleeding or irregular menstrual cycles with more or less time between them. It is very common among premenopausal women to miss one or more menstrual cycles and then have one or two in a row, only to start missing them again.

2- Many women tend to associate early menopause with hot flashes. A hot flash is the warming of the entire body and is normally followed by perspiration. Hot flashes are often associated with night sweats, which can drench the with sweat while sleeping. This is no scientific explanation for the occurrence of hot flashes or night sweats, but almost 40% of women suffer from this early menopause symptom. For most women hot flashes last about five years, however, about 10% of women will experiencing hot flashes and night sweats for 10 years.

3- Mood swings are often sited as an early menopause symptom; however, there is not any conclusive research to that effect. It is now being thought that the changes in mood may be more directly related to the lack of sleep that some women experience because of night sweats. This is an especially valid idea if the woman has a history of depression, this history added to the loss in sleep can cause the mood swings.

4- Age is the most common reason for the onset of early menopause symptoms, however there can be other factors for this change in life to occur. If a woman has had a hysterectomy, this can be often be the reason for the symptoms. This is the rationale behind putting women on hormone replacements following the surgery.

5- Premenopausal like symptoms can also be caused by excessive weight. For example, many obese women do not have normal menstrual cycles and experience irregular bleeding patterns. It is important to speak with your health care provider if you feel that you are experiencing any of these early menopause symptoms, they will be able to rule out any other health related issues.