Burning mouth. Itchy, crawly skin. Heart palpitations. Cold flushes. Body odor 10 minutes after you get out of the shower.
Have you experienced any of these weird symptoms? 👆
If you have, you’re not going crazy! They are lesser-known symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.
AKA the symptoms I wish I would have known about when I was in my 40s!
So, if you’re going through perimenopause and experiencing these odd, seemingly unrelated symptoms, you’ve come to the right place.
Seven surprising menopause symptoms
1. Heart palpitations
When your heart is fluttering, pounding, or “skipping a beat,” heart palpitations are often to blame.
They typically last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and can coincide with hot flashes, night sweats, or dizziness, or can happen on their own.
While heart palpitations can be scary, they are usually not a serious cardiac issue.
However, consult your doctor if they are accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness.
So why does this happen during menopause? Well, like many menopause symptoms, the cause is hormonal and should stop post-menopause.
2. Burning mouth
This symptom is pretty much what it sounds like — a burning feeling on your tongue, gums, lips, inner cheeks, the roof of your mouth, or whole mouth. It can feel like you burnt your mouth on something hot.
Yep, it’s a fun one! Said no one, ever. 😑
It’s one of the most bizarre sensations. My husband thought I was nuts walking around with ice cubes on my tongue!
The good news is that it doesn’t last forever. Once hormone levels stabilize, this sensation will go away.
But watch out for other oral issues like dryness, gum disease, and bad breath. Regular dental check-ups and discussing concerns with your doctor are important.
3. Change in sense of smell
My favorite perfume in the world suddenly smelled horrible overnight.
Changes in your sense of smell are common with fluctuating estrogen levels and can affect your taste buds. If you can’t smell as well or notice certain smells becoming heightened or unbearable, menopause is likely why. 🙃
Few people talk about this symptom, so many women feel like they’re going crazy. That’s why it’s so important to have these conversations!
Thankfully, changes in smell and taste won’t last forever.
In the meantime, go with it! Follow your new sense of smell and taste buds wherever they want to go.
Personally, I found a new favorite perfume.
4. Cold flushes
You know hot flashes, right? Well, there are also cold flushes — the cold, tingly feeling that can come after hot flashes or out of nowhere.
They can last a few seconds or several minutes (just like hot flashes).
And similar to their sweltering counterpart, the causes of cold flushes aren’t known but are thought to be related to changing hormones impacting how your body regulates temperature.
As a general rule for perimenopausal or menopausal women, I recommend wearing layers so you can be prepared for one extreme or the other.
5. Crawly skin or ‘electric shock sensation’
Dry skin in mid-life is expected, but feeling a crawly sensation underneath your skin? That’s normal too!
I used to get a prickly, buzzy feeling in the palm of my hand. 👋
This tingly electric shock sensation is called paraesthesia and can also lead to restless leg syndrome.
There are plenty of hormonal and non-hormonal ways to remedy this weird tingly sensation.
6. Body odor
Perspiration from hot flashes and night sweats = more bacteria = more body odor. Plus, the drop in estrogen also leaves our bodies with higher levels of testosterone, making our scent funkier than usual.
I used to be able to smell myself only 10 minutes after being out of the shower. Blegh.
Although your body odor might be changing, so is your sense of smell. Some changes in your natural scent might be caused by the perception that you smell different.
The best advice is to shower regularly and use high-quality deodorant. Staying hydrated is also important, especially to offset what you’ve lost from sweating.
7. Itchy inner ears
Have you ever had your inner ears itch? It’s one of those itches you literally can’t scratch.
Turns out it’s normal. A loss of estrogen causes dryness in the skin and mucous membranes, leading to an itchy feeling and sometimes ringing in the ears.
Don’t worry; this symptom will pass! But in the meantime, you can try putting a small drop of olive oil in your ears to combat the dryness.
Many of these weirder symptoms of (peri)menopause are due to changing hormones that can be remedied through many different methods, including HRT, dietary changes, exercising differently, medications, or supplements.
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