Menopause Symptoms:

Menopause is the time that is marked by the cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle. A culmination of a woman’s menstruation and child bearing ability is what is termed as natural menopause. It is most likely to occur in women that are between the ages of 50 to 53. Often referred to as a “change of life,” this is the final phase of an ongoing biological process, wherein the ovaries bring about a reduction in the production of progesterone and estrogen, the female sex hormones. On the other hand surgical menopause refers to the culmination of woman’s menstruation and child bearing ability, by the removal of a woman’s uterus and/ or ovaries.

The ovaries usually start to reduce hormone production when a woman is her mid-thirties, this steady decline or reduction continues till the age of around 47; this stage is referred to as perimenopause. During perimenopause the process of hormone reduction begins to accelerate and there is an increased level of hormonal fluctuations, giving rise to an irregularity in the menstrual cycles, as well as unpredictable experiences of heavy bleeding. Finally in the early to the mid fifties, menstruation stops; this stage is referred to as menopause. The three or four years that follow menopause is a stage called climacteric. There is no specific or particular age that menopause will occur, it will differ from one woman to another, but it is usually a few years later or earlier than the age of 50.

During the stage of perimenopause, the production of estrogen is reduced and eggs are no longer being produced by the ovaries. As the levels of estrogen continue to fall, certain symptoms or signs related to menopause occur, a change in the menstrual cycle being the first. The regularity of periods reduces and in addition the flow could either be lighter or heavier than usual. Another very common symptom is the experience of hot flashes. In fact hot flashes could begin, even before menstruation has stopped and at times may continue for a few years post menopause. Apart from hot flashes, vaginal dryness is also another symptom. As a woman ages, the vaginal walls begin to get less elastic, dryer and thinner. These changes at times could also cause intercourse to be painful. To conclude menopause should not be considered as an illness or a disease, but rather should be looked upon as the transition from one phase of a woman’s life to another.