Menopause is a normal part of aging. It simply means the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Medically speaking, it is the time when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs for reproduction. As a result, there is a decline in the progesterone and estrogen hormones. Menopause usually occurs in a woman’s late 40’s to early 50’s. Women in our country have an average age of 52 years.
There are three stages of menopause:
- Perimenopause
The period of 12 months before menopause is termed as perimenopause. It is the time when a woman can still become pregnant even with erratic periods. Hence, it is advised to use a form of birth control until one year after the last period. - Menopause
As mentioned above, most women experience menopause at the age of 51 to 52. Menopause is usually confirmed after the woman has missed her periods for 12 straight months without experiencing pregnancy. The transition from perimenopause through menopause to post-menopause can take at least three years. - Postmenopause
It starts after one year has passed since the last menstrual cycle. Other symptoms such as elevated heart rate and insomnia might become common symptoms. Due to a decrease in estrogen, there is an increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and osteopenia.
Symptoms of menopause
One of the primary symptoms of menopause is irregular periods. A woman might exhibit this symptom years before leading to menopause. Other symptoms might include night sweats and hot flashes. Vasomotor symptoms like difficulty regulating body temperature also are experienced. However, these symptoms might persist for a specific period and dissipate over time.
Estrogen levels gradually decline during the postmenopausal period, which might cause vaginal dryness and increase the risk of cardiovascular and bone problems. Irregular sleep is also a common symptom throughout the entire perimenopausal period. A host of other symptoms such as depression, fatigue, irritability, memory difficulties, anxiety, weight gain, and urinary intolerance might also be experienced by women approaching menopause.
Types of menopause
Based on the causes and timing of the end of menstruation, there are three types of menopause:
- Natural menopause
As discussed above, natural menopause occurs when ovaries stop functioning, leading to the end of menstruation. For most women, menopause occurs naturally between the ages of 48 to 55. As the ovaries stop producing reproductive hormones, the body responds and adapts accordingly. - Induced menopause
It occurs when it is brought on by a deliberate action in the form of surgery or medication that affects the ovaries. Surgeries such as hysterectomy that involve removing ovaries also cause abrupt menopause. One can usually anticipate this type of menopause and plan ahead to avoid uncomfortable symptoms. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy as a cancer treatment can also damage or shut down ovaries temporarily, causing menopause. - Premature or early menopause
The menstruation cycle stops before the age of 40. Besides surgery, there are many other reasons a woman might experience early menopause. Some of them include endocrine disorders, heavy drinking, smoking, chromosome defects, thyroid disease, and autoimmune disease among others.
