What happens during menopause?
This is the stage of a woman’s life when the ovaries stop producing eggs regularly. Production of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone declines, and menstruation decreases and eventually stops. Advertisement The term menopause means cessation of menstruation. It is also sometimes called “change of life”. Menopause is the beginning of a distinct life phase, with its own particular health issues. Symptoms of menopause Menopause-related changes, or symptoms, usually begin approximately six years before natural menopause. Fluctuations in the levels of hormones produced by the ageing ovaries lead to physiological short-term changes. As the ovaries become less functional they produce less oestrogen, a state to which the body subsequently reacts. Because oestrogen affects large portions of the body, hormonal changes are felt in a number of ways. For some women the associated discomforts are minimal, while others must deal with severe symptoms and risk factors for disease. A gradual
This is the stage of a woman’s life when the ovaries stop producing eggs regularly. Production of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone declines, and menstruation decreases and eventually stops. The term menopause means cessation of menstruation. It is also sometimes called “change of life”. Menopause is the beginning of a distinct life phase, with its own particular health issues. Symptoms of menopause Menopause-related changes, or symptoms, usually begin approximately six years before natural menopause. Fluctuations in the levels of hormones produced by the ageing ovaries lead to physiological short-term changes. As the ovaries become less functional they produce less oestrogen, a state to which the body subsequently reacts. Because oestrogen affects large portions of the body, hormonal changes are felt in a number of ways. For some women the associated discomforts are minimal, while others must deal with severe symptoms and risk factors for disease. A gradual decrease in oe
