What is menopause?
Overview. Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. Menopause is a natural biological process.
What happens to your body during menopause?
During this time, your ovaries get smaller and stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone that control the menstrual cycle, your eggs are depleted and fertility declines. Eventually, you are no longer able to become pregnant. The 3-5 year period before menopause when your estrogen and hormone levels begin to drop is called perimenopause.
What causes menopause and how can you prevent it?
Menopause may result from primary ovarian insufficiency — when your ovaries fail to produce normal levels of reproductive hormones — stemming from genetic factors or autoimmune disease. But often no cause can be found.
How long does it take for menopause symptoms to stop?
Once in menopause (you haven’t had a period for 12 months) and on into postmenopause, the symptoms may continue for an average of four to five years, but they decrease in frequency and intensity. Some women report their symptoms last longer. The most common symptoms include: Hot flashes.
How do I know if I have menopause?
It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. Menopause is a natural biological process. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep,…
What is the difference between menopause and postmenopause?
Menopause is diagnosed when you’ve gone without a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Postmenopause: This is the name given to the time after you have not had a period for an entire year (the rest of your life after going through menopause). During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, may ease for many people.
Is menopause an abrupt event?
While technically it refers to the final period, it is not an abrupt event, but a gradual process. Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural life-stage transition. However, women have to make important decisions about “treatment,” including the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).