It's not just the risk of osteoporosis that makes menopause quite the irksome adventure, it's also all the different symptoms that go along with it. Even though not every menopausal woman will experience the same physical or psychological problems, it is important that you are aware of the most common symptoms. The reason is because you may be suffering from a symptom but are not relating it to menopause.



For instance, many menopausal women who suffer from dizziness have no idea that this is a common symptom of their condition. Dizziness may be directly related to menopause due to changes in the body. For instance, due to lower estrogen levels, changes occur in the blood vessels within the nervous system which can result in dizziness. Furthermore, hot flashes, night sweats and migraine headaches are other menopausal symptoms that can lead to dizziness and vertigo.

Dizziness could also be indirectly related to menopause by being a side effect of medications you are taking to treat other symptoms such as hormone replacement therapy.

Despite the cause of your menopausal dizziness, this symptom can be irritating, and in some cases dangerous. Imagine what could happen if a woman, who suffers frequent dizzy spells, becomes dizzy while driving a vehicle, riding a bike, crossing a street or walking down the stairs. This could result in an accident with possible, serious consequences. In addition, a severe case of dizziness may lead to vertigo.

Vertigo is a serious condition that can cause headaches, dizziness, a spinning sensation, imbalance and falling. Vertigo is often followed by nausea and sometimes vomiting. The condition is made worse with motion. Vertigo occurs when otoliths (calcium carbonate particles) are misplaced in the inner ear's semicircular canals.

Excessive dizziness and incidences of vertigo should be brought to your doctor's attention. Your health care provider can examine and diagnose your condition, and provide you with treatment options to help with your symptoms.

That being said, some common ways to treat menopausal dizziness include:

Eating - Most women are constantly on the go and fail to provide their body with the energy and nutrients it needs. Many women do not eat a proper breakfast, nor do they have snacks when they are hungry. Furthermore, they drink too many dehydrating fluids such as coffee, tea and soda, and not enough water to help their body stay hydrated. During menopause, your body is going through too many hormonal changes and cannot handle a poor diet.

Therefore, if you are experiencing dizziness, try improving your diet and eat foods with protein, and natural energy such as fruit. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day!

Relax - Stress leads to many negative emotional side affects including depression, anxiety and headaches. You can reduce the stress you feel by engaging in meditation and exercises that promote deep breathing such as Yoga and Pilates. Furthermore, getting a good night sleep can also help with dizziness.

Herbal treatment - A popular herbal remedy is inhaling lavender oil from a cloth. This treatment has been used for centuries to treat swooning (lightheadedness). As an extra bonus, it smells wonderful.

Note: Talk to your doctor before treating your dizzy spells with herbal remedies or over-the-counter medications.

Always remember that while dizziness is a common symptom of menopause, excessive dizziness may be a sign of something far more serious than menopause such as a brain tumor. Thus, before you brush your dizzy symptoms aside, take the time to seek the opinion of your doctor.