What is Menopause?
Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life when her periods stop permanently, and she can no longer become pregnant. The key terms related to menopause include:
- Perimenopause: The years leading up to menopause when periods may be irregular, but a woman can still get pregnant. Perimenopausal symptoms can start years before menopause.
- Postmenopause: The years after menopause has occurred, starting when a woman has not had a period for 12 months.
On average, menopause happens between the ages of 45-55. But it can occur earlier or later. Premature menopause affects about 1% of women before age 40.
Some key things to know:
- Menopause signals the end of a woman's reproductive years. After menopause, pregnancies are no longer possible.
- It happens because a woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Lower hormone levels cause changes like hot flashes, sleep issues, and vaginal dryness.
- Every woman goes through menopause. Support and management of symptoms can help this transition.
The lead-up starts perimenopause, which can begin a decade beforehand. Shifting hormone levels cause changes like:
- Irregular, heavier, or lighter periods
- Hot flashes
- Trouble sleeping
- Vaginal dryness
- Mood changes like irritability or anxiety
- Weight gain
Postmenopause symptoms continue like vaginal atrophy and bone loss. But hot flashes and night sweats tend to improve during this stage.
What causes menopause? Menopause occurs due to ovaries aging and running low on eggs. Specifically:
- Women are born with about 1-2 million eggs in their ovaries
- Eggs are lost each month and over time, the supply drops too low to ovulate
- Low ovulation triggers lower estrogen/progesterone production
- Hormone levels decline until periods cease completely
Managing menopausal symptoms is key. Lifestyle changes can help like avoiding triggers, layering clothing, communicating with your doctor, and more. The years beyond menopause open a new chapter of life.
Visit Invigorate Medical for more information on managing menopause symptoms.