Signs and Symptoms of Menopause

Doctors generally aggree that a woman has reached menopause when ther is no underlying medical condition that would cause her to cease menstruation and she has not had a period for more than 12 consecutive months. Most women reach menopause at age 50, however many women cease menstruating in their 30s or 60s.

Menopause occurs when the ovaries cease to function. The ovaries are a pair of glands in women which release eggs and produce hormones. The ovaries produce hormones which control the development of the female body and regulate the menstrual cycle. Estrogen also has a role in regulating pregnancy and protecting bone health.

The gradual transition into menopause is known as perimenopause. This period is defined by a decline in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. Perimenopause may occur in some women as early as their 30s. Signs of perimenopause manifest themselves as a decline in fertility and irregular periods. The duration of perimenopause vary from woman to woman, but the most common symptoms are hot flashes, declined fertility, irregular periods, insomnia, abdominal weight gain, vaginal dryness, and facial hair growth.

Perimenopausal Symptoms

• Hot flashes


• Declining fertility


• Memory and concentration problems


• Decreased sexual response


• Heart palpitations


• Insomnia


• Abdominal weight gain


• Irregular periods


• Vaginal dryness


• Irritability


• Hairloss


• Dry skin

Hormone levels fluctuate greatly from day to day in an individual woman, so hormone tests are not reliable for identifying menopause. There is also no blood test which can diagnose menopause. Because there is no sure fire way to determine whether a woman has entered perimenopause or menopause, a good rule of thumb for women is that menopause occurs at roughly the same age as it did for their mothers.

After menstruation has stopped, this period in a woman's life is called postmenopause. Postmenopause lasts for the rest of a woman's life and is a crucial time period in which women must take care of themselves to prevent diseases caused by decreased estrogen levels. Some of these diseases include osteoperosis, cancer, and heart disease.

tags: menopause, symptoms, women's health, estrogen