Although menopause is a normal transition, many women experience symptoms of anxiety according to Mayo Clinic.com. Women may begin to feel anxious just looking at the long list of symptoms associated with menopause. Changes caused by the drop of estrogen and progesterone is not imagined, and for many women, identifying the symptoms help them find solutions that bring relief. Some of these anxiety symptoms spring up before a woman actually realizes she is entering menopause. A medical doctor should be consulted to assure that these symptoms are part of the hormonal changes of menopause.
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are the most common anxiety symptom experienced by women during menopause. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School reported in the September 2006 journal "Menopause" that women with more stress have more hot flashes, showing a correlation between stress and hot flashes. Women that have difficulty coping with stress have more anxiety, which leads to more hot flashes. As part of the study, women were taught how to relax over a period of 11 weeks, which reduced anxiety and hot flashes.
Sleeplessness
During menopause women often get night sweats that will cause them to awake in the night. Night sweats are actually hot flashes that occur while sleeping. Stress and anxiety will increase these night sweats.
Christiane Northrup, a medical doctor who specializes in women's health, notes that insomnia and hot flashes are exacerbated by underlying emotions such as stress, anxiety, sadness, and anger. It is important for women to learn how to relax and exercise to reduce anxiety.
Palpitations
Palpitations is when the heart beats rapidly or irregularly. Some women experience heart palpitations during menopause due to changing hormone levels according to the website, 34 Menopause Symptoms. Sometimes it happens when they have a hot flash or night sweats. Increased anxiety and stress can bring them on as well. Once a woman talks with a doctor and understands that this can be a normal symptom, much of the anxiety over these occurrences may subside.
