Menopause

Menopause occurs when a woman’s body stops releasing eggs from the ovaries and greatly reduces the production of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen. This typically happens in mid-life (the average age of onset is 51, and the normal range is 45 to 55).

Menopause is often equated with the end of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle, but this is an oversimplification. In actuality, what is happening is much more complicated. A young woman can have her uterus surgically removed, and she will stop having her periods. However, she won’t enter menopause until her ovaries stop ovulating and her body slows down the release of reproductive hormones.

Prior to beginning menopause, a woman will experience a period called perimenopause. In this period, most women begin to experience some of the symptoms of menopause. Perimenopause typically begins when a woman is in her mid-to-late 30s. Many women report that this period is much like experiencing puberty, but in reverse. They find that they struggle with the changes in their body just as much as they did when they were adolescents.

A woman is considered to be menopausal only after she has experienced one year without a menstrual period (assuming there is no other medical cause for this).

5 Things You Need to Know

  1. Menopause is a major physiological event that affects a woman’s entire body and mind. Common symptoms of menopause include changes in mood, difficulty concentrating or remembering facts, insomnia, fatigue, loss of interest in sex, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and loss of bone density.
  2. Menopause may affect a woman’s appearance. Many women notice that weight that was previously stored in their thighs and hips seems to shift to their waists. Some experience thinning hair and notice that their breasts seem to lose their firmness and fullness. Wrinkles may form on the skin, and hair may begin growing on the chin, upper lip and abdomen (this occurs because as estrogen levels drop, the testosterone in a woman’s body can have a more pronounced effect).
  3. If a woman has her last period prior to age 40, she is considered to be prematurely menopausal. This occurs in around 1 percent of women (but 5 percent of twins). Premature menopause can be caused by genetic factors or disease, but it is often spontaneous and seemingly random.
  4. Menopause can’t be prevented. Symptoms can be treated using hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
  5. After menopause, women face an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

3 Questions You Need to Ask Your Doctor

  1. How can changes in my lifestyle help me deal with the symptoms of menopause?
  2. Would hormone replacement therapy be a good option for me?
  3. Should I have my bone density tested?

Also Known As:change of life, menstrual cycle, end of menstrual cycle, peri menopause

Your health is too important to take lightly. The information on this website is intended to start you down the path to living well, but it’s only just the beginning.

Each of us is unique, and we all deserve the individual attention that only a health care professional can provide. So do what’s in your best interest - take the next step and find doctors or surgeons in your area today.