For many women the thought of going through premenopause is a daunting thought, anticipating the hormonal changes that will complete change the way the body functions and how it reacts to external influences. The mood swings, hot flashes and irritability are all caused by the changes the woman's body goes through during the "change of life" known as menopause.

There are six aspects of a woman's body that are affected the most during premenopause and women have several alternatives to help deal with them. While many drugs including hormone replacement therapy are available, many natural products as well as lifestyle and diet changes can help relieve some of the suffering of the symptoms.

The instability of the body's vasomotor system is to blame for hot flashes as well as sleep interruptions. Although there may be other causes to sleep loss, night sweats related to menopausal hot flashes is common. Continual interruption in sleep may be a sign of other problems and the woman should contact a medical professional.

The skeletal system also suffers during menopause causing such issues as joint pain, muscle pain and back pain. Osteoporosis, a loss of bone density may also occur. Although, this usually develops over a longer period of time. Staying away from caffeine as well as phosphorous (often used in carbonated beverages) has been shown to slow the development of this condition.

A loss of elasticity of the skin as well as the skin getting thinner are parts of the skin and soft tissue problems often seen in women in menopause. Some women will also have a tingling feeling under their skin. This tingling can also be a sign of adult onset diabetes and should not be ignored.

There are several psychological issues that are manifested at menopause that can cause mood swings and irritability. Some of the most common feelings menopausal women go through are:

• Depression

• Memory loss

• Fatigue

The fatigue may be partly caused by lack of sleep, which can also play a part in the irritable feeling often experienced. Many natural products have proven successful in relieving depression and anxiety often associated with menopause.

Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive cycle and as a result many of the body's functions pertaining to reproduction can be greatly diminished. Decreased libido and difficulty reaching orgasm as well as vaginal dryness may make sexual contact unpleasant as well as not desired.

Urology also takes on additional problems during menopause such as vaginal itching, dryness or bleeding. There may be episodes of an urgent need for urination or an increase in frequency. Many women may also experience a watery discharge and in some cases, urinary incontinence may also be experienced.

Many of the problems associated with menopause may disappear during post-menopause but others will remain. Most of the psychological problems seem to disappear with many of the physical symptoms of menopause. By using many of the natural remedies to get through the symptoms, there is little chance of having permanent side effects as are possible when using synthetic drugs.