Menopause is a natural biological process that all women experience as they age. Specifically, menopause refers to the point in time when a woman stops menstruating permanently. It signals the end of a woman's reproductive years.
The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. This transition period can start several years before menopause actually occurs. During perimenopause, estrogen levels fluctuate and start to decline. As a result, women may experience various symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, and mood changes.
On average, most women experience menopause around age 51. But it can happen earlier or later too. Premature menopause refers to menopause occurring before age 40. That affects about 1% of women. There are various factors that influence when menopause starts like genetics, autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy treatment, smoking, etc.
The declining estrogen levels that lead up to menopause cause changes in a woman's body. Some key changes include:
The transition through perimenopause and into menopause can be eased through lifestyle measures like regular exercise, stress management, not smoking, and eating a nutritious diet. There are also various medical treatments that doctors at Vitality Restored Clinic may recommend to help alleviate bothersome symptoms like hormone therapy, antidepressants, etc.
The key is being informed about this natural transition. Learning techniques to cope with challenging symptoms allows women to take menopause in stride. With an understanding and proactive approach, women can pass through the menopause transition while still enjoying life. After all, over a third of a woman's life occurs after menopause! So while fertility declines, women can still live life to the fullest.