Menopause: Facts

Menopause is a natural, hormonal change in a woman's life that causes the menstrual cycle to stop. For most women, menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age for women in the United states in 51. At the point when menopause appears, a woman ceases to be fertile.

What Is Menopause?

Women who are past a certain age are known to experience menopause. It is defined as having no menstrual period for a year. Different women experience menopause at various ages. But it is known to mostly occur when the woman reaches her late 40s or early 50s. Menopause is known to cause certain changes in the body of the female. The symptoms that usually occurs are due to a decrease in the production of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries. The symptoms that a woman undergoing menopause would experience are sudden weight gain, hot flashes, dryness in the vagina, and many other symptoms. Menopause is known to bring about an increase in the risk of certain types of medical conditions, such as osteoporosis. For certain women, going through menopause can become a tiring task and, hence, there may be a need for medical attention. Below are certain facts about menopause which every woman should be aware of:

• As mentioned earlier, the age of menopause can differ from woman to woman, however, the average age of the start, or onset, of menopause is 51 years. By the time they reach the age of 45 to 55 years, a majority of women are known to stop getting their periods. In certain women, it has been seen that the stages concerning a decline in the function of the ovary can start much earlier than this age. Still, there are cases wherein a few women get their menstrual periods until they reach their late 50s. Hence, genetics is known to decide the age of menopause for a woman, but certain other things, such as smoking, any medical conditions, or use of therapy like radiation or chemotherapy, can increase the decline in the ovaries’ functioning, leading to early menopause.
• There are multiple stages of menopause, and they are: pre-menopause, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Menopause is considered to be the absence of menstrual periods for around a year, or at least 12 months. This is that time in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop functioning, but this process is not something that will happen overnight. It is considered to be a gradual process that is divided into the stages mentioned above, and every woman will have a different experience with each of them; it would not be the same for all women.
• Pre-menopause is known to be the entire life of the woman before the actual stage of menopause. Throughout this period, the woman would get her menstrual periods very frequently. The woman is also capable of bearing kids, and there is a moderate balance in the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. This transition is said to start when the woman reaches her early 40s. During this stage, the woman is known to experience certain symptoms, such as getting irritated easily, anxiety, changes in mood, cramps in certain parts of the body, and anxiety attacks. Since there are hormonal fluctuations, the woman is known to frequently experience these symptoms.
• Perimenopause is known to occur when there is a slow-down in the functioning of both the ovaries as well as the fertility. There is a dip in the hormonal levels, leading to side effects that are often discomforting. This is right before the stage of menopause, and the body undergoes drastic changes due to the fluctuations caused in the hormones as well as the menstrual cycle. The ovaries are known to produce less amounts of estrogen, hence, the duration of the menstrual cycle also reduces. Due to which, some women may have fewer periods, whereas others may not have any periods at all. A few of the other symptoms that the woman may undergo are tenderness in the breast, sudden weight gain, constant headache, dryness in the vagina, and insomnia or lack of sleep. There are also a lot of changes in the emotions of the woman, due to which she tends to become irritated, depressed, and would find it difficult to handle stress. At times, it becomes difficult to identify when the perimenopause stage has started.
• When the woman has gone one year without any periods, it means she has officially reached the stage of menopause. However, it has been seen that the symptoms that are experienced during the perimenopause stage can also manifest during this menopause stage. A few of the symptoms experienced at this stage are hot flashes, or there is a sensation of extreme heat that is also followed by chills; the individual starts to feel sweaty too often; and the neck and face regions become red. The intensity of hot flashes is known to range in severity, wherein it can be mild or at times very strong.
• Once the woman knows she has completed the transition of menopause, then she is said to be in the stage of post-menopause. Due to the very low levels of hormones, this stage can bring about its own symptoms. In this, most of the symptoms reduce, but the dryness of the vagina may persist. Since the body tends to release less estrogen, the woman can expect to contract a lot of serious health issues, which can include breast cancer, heart related problems, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections. Hence, during the latter part of life, the doctor generally recommends that women undergo certain tests to determine the levels of their follicle-stimulating hormone, also known as FSH, in the blood.
• Hot flashes are seen to be a quite common occurrence either before or during the menopause stage. But not many women are aware that it’s one of the symptoms of menopause. During the hot flash, the individual may feel that their body temperature is rising. Hot flashes are known to mostly affect the top half of the body and the skin would start to turn red in color, or it can also become blotchy. Mostly, the face and neck are affected. Due to this rush of heat, it can lead to signs such as feeling dizzy, sweating too frequently, and the heart starts to palpitate. After the hot flash, the individual may also experience a cold flash. The symptom of hot flashes is known to occur on a daily basis, or it can happen multiple times in a day. This then occurs too often in a year, or it can also last for several years as well.
• Menopause is known to also lead to osteoporosis or weakening of the bones. Due to the reduction in the production of estrogen, there is a direct hit on the amount of calcium present in the bones. This in turn leads to a significant reduction in the woman’s bone density, thereby leading to osteoporosis. The individual also becomes prone to fractures in the bones, spine, or the hip region. As one continues to age, there is an increase in the bone loss occurring after the last menstrual period. Hence, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep the bones healthy, such as exercising on a regular basis, trying to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, eating foods that are rich in calcium, and getting enough vitamin D either through the sun or supplements.
• During menopause, there is also a possibility of having heart-related disorders such as heart palpitations or dizziness. Due to the reduction in the level of estrogen in the body, this can prevent the arteries from retaining their flexible nature. This in turn would also impact the flow of blood. Hence, keep a watch on your weight, try to maintain a healthy diet with balanced nutrients, and also exercise on a regular basis. All of these healthy lifestyle choices can avoid the occurrence of heart problems.
• Due to changes in hormones, the woman is known to gain weight even though they may eat less. Aging is also known to be a contributor of weight gain. Try to focus on a healthy diet and keeping up the level of physical activity.