What is Menopause?
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her period stops. It is a normal change in a woman’s body. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row (and there are no other causes, such as pregnancy or illness, for this change). Menopause is sometimes called, “the change of life.” Leading up to menopause, a woman’s body slowly makes less and less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This change often happens between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. As you near menopause, you may have symptoms from the changes your body is making. Many women wonder if these changes are normal, and many are confused about how to treat their symptoms. You will feel better by learning all you can about menopause and talking with your doctor about your health and your symptoms. If your symptoms are causing you discomfort or concern, your doctor can teach you about treatment options and help you to make wise treatment choices.
The formal definition of menopause is the last menstrual period. However, during the years building up to menopause, many women’s cycles will be irregular, with several months between periods. So it can be difficult to know whether the last period you had was in fact the final one. A rule of thumb is that if you haven’t had a period for 12 months, they’re probably finished, and your menopause is ‘back-dated’ to the last period you had.
Menopause refers to that time in every woman’s life when menstruation ceases completely. The ovaries’ decrease their output of estrogen and progesterone and women begin to experience the effects of this decrease of these hormones. In addition to signifying the end of a woman’s ability to have children, declines in these female hormones affect the entire endocrine system. The early phase or transitional phase is referred to as peri-menopause. Menopause is considered complete when a woman has had no period for a full year. Although timing varies from woman to woman, menopause is generally completed by the time they reach their early 50’s.
Menopause literally means “cessation of periods,” and most women reach natural menopause between ages 45 and 54. Sometimes called “puberty in reverse,” it is a time when a woman’s ovaries shut down. During this transition, hormone levels fluctuate greatly, causing many of the symptoms we associate with menopause.
The term menopause is usually used to describe any of the changes a woman experiences either just before or after she stops menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period.
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