28 Cues That Menopause Is on Its Way

The big question many women ask about menopause is, "When?" No one can really tell you when menopause will arrive, although it would be comforting to know the exact year so you could mentally prepare yourself.

The age of menopause differs in every woman. The average age is 51, plus or minus several years either way.

Some women get menopause as early as in their 30s. Others take till their 60s to find out what it's all about. Ask your grandmother when she had hers. Most likely, your age of menopause will be close. Genetics has a lot to do with the age "when" menopause hits.

Many women start experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance anywhere from their early 30s to their late 40s. Such signals are triggered by different hormonal changes as you approach the midlife phase.

Here's an extensive list of common signs that point to the arrival of menopause:

• Unpredictable and irregular periods, shorter and lighter periods, heavier periods, flooding, phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles
• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
• Mood swings, irritability and sudden tears
• Terrible fatigue
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Anxiety and feelings of apprehension, dread and doom
• Hot flashes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, sweaty clammy feeling
• Sleeplessness (with or without night sweats)
• Dry vagina and loss of libido
• Memory loss and lapses
• Difficulty in concentrating, mental confusion and disorientation
• Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons, and increased tension in muscles
• Headaches
• Itchy, crawly skin
• Incontinence, especially upon laughing or sneezing
• Breast tenderness
• Hair loss or thinning all over
• Vertigo, light-headedness, episodes of losing your balance
• Changes in body/breath odor
• Gum problems, increased bleeding
• Gastrointestinal distress, flatulence, indigestion, nausea, bloating
• Worsening of existing conditions, increase in allergies
• Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head
• Burning tongue, roof of mouth, and bad taste in mouth
• Tinnitus -- ringing in ears, bells, "whooshing," buzzing
• Fingernails that become softer, break and crack easier
• Osteoporosis (after several years)