How to Know If You Are Pregnant or Have Menopause

One of the most crucial questions for a woman in her late thirties or early forties when she does skip her period is whether she is pregnant or is having menopause. That's because, whether during pregnancy or when having a menopause, the body of a woman goes through some hormonal changes. In both the cases women experience similar symptoms and hence it becomes difficult to differentiate between the two conditions. The common symptoms associated with both these conditions are headaches, sleep problems, food cravings, constipation, bladder control, breast tenderness. Mood swings though considered quite common in pregnant women are common in women having menopause too.

Here is some basic information that will help you identify the difference between these two conditions in women -

• The most important thing that you need to do at the very beginning is to get yourself informed about the common of symptoms of pregnancy and menopause. If you do experience any of those symptoms, you should arrange for an appointment you're your gynecologist. Your gynecologist will recommend a few blood tests or other lab tests which will help her in clearly identifying the actual reason for the symptoms. Mostly pregnant women can diagnose their condition in about 2 or 3 weeks after they conceive. During pregnancy, unlike in women experiencing menopause, the blood or urine will have presence of the HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) hormone.

• The gynecologist may also require you to get a specific blood test done to determine the presence of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). This test is recommended when the test for being pregnant is negative but the symptoms persist. If the FSH is high, it is possibly an indication of you being in menopause. Then the doctor orders additional lab tests to diagnose the causes of menopause.

• In pregnant women, cramps in abdominal area are common. If you have any abdominal cramping, observe the duration and frequency of cramps. Cramping in pregnant women is generally due to the stretching of the muscles in the uterus. Women in menopause also experience cramping. It is a matter of concern if the cramps continue even after about a year of menopause and should be reported to your gynecologist.

• Keep an eye if you notice any spotting as this could indicate that you are pregnant. If your period is for a shorter duration that always, there are good chances of you being pregnant. Often referred to as implantation bleeding, it usually happens within 10 to 14 days of fertilization. Spotting is also common during menopause.

• If you experience any sort of fatigue, don't ignore it. In case of being pregnant the progesterone levels in the body rise, causing extreme exhaustion and tiredness. Whereas in menopause the levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone drop, causing fatigue.

• Mood swings is common during the initial months of being pregnant. This will gradually pass during the later months. During menopause changing moods occur due to fluctuating hormones.

My name is Nisha Mohsin and I lead a team of passionate writers at Gulsway Business Intelligence. Together, we have delivered quality content to our list of regular clients successfully. Writing comes to me naturally and I take pride in educating people with what I know.

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