What is menopause, and what are the different stages?
Menopause is often referred to as the “change of life”. It is a natural phase in a woman’s life. The dictionary defines menopause as “the time in a woman’s life when menstruation diminishes and ceases, usually between the ages of 45 and 50.” And it is identified as not having a period for one year. Perimenopause (peri is Latin for “around or near”) is the time prior to the cessation of menstruation when you experience hormonal changes and you are still having periods. Many doctors now refer to perimenopause as the menopausal transition. Menopause is official after you have not had a period for 12 months. And postmenopause is the time after menopause when the symptoms of estrogen absence appear. Going through the menopausal transition is the reverse of puberty.
