Menopause

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a stage in life when you stop having your monthly period. It’s a normal part of aging and marks the end of your fertile, reproductive years. Menopause typically occurs in your late 40s to early 50s. However, people who have their ovaries surgically removed undergo “sudden” surgical menopause.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause

Is it Menopause?

If you are having symptoms that are common during menopause, your doctor may ask questions about your age, symptoms, and family history to determine if it really is the menopausal transition causing your problems. In some cases, your doctor may suggest a blood test to check your follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels to rule out any other causes for the changes you’re experiencing.

While the menopausal transition may commonly be referred to as “menopause,” true menopause doesn’t happen until one year after a woman’s final menstrual period. For that reason, a woman who does not want to get pregnant should continue to use birth control for at least a full 12 months after her last period.

Menopause can also be triggered by a hysterectomy or surgical removal of the ovaries, which produce hormones. If you have surgery to remove your uterus or ovaries and are not taking hormones, you will experience symptoms of menopause immediately

After menopause, women enter postmenopause. Postmenopausal women are more vulnerable to heart disease and osteoporosis. During this time, it is important to continue to eat a healthy diet and be active

Why does menopause happen?

Natural menopause — menopause that’s not caused by surgery or another medical condition — is a normal part of aging. Menopause is defined as a complete year without menstrual bleeding, in the absence of any surgery or medical condition that may cause bleeding to artificially stop such as hormonal birth control, overactive thyroid, high prolactin, radiation or surgical removal of the ovaries.

How long does menopause last?

Menopause is a point in time when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. The time before menopause can last eight to 10 years (perimenopause). The time after menopause (postmenopause) will last until the end of your life. The average age of menopause in the United States is approximately 51 years old.

What hormonal changes happen during menopause?

The traditional changes we think of as “menopause” happen when your ovaries no longer produce high levels of hormones. The ovaries are the reproductive glands that store eggs and release them into the fallopian tubes. They also produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone as well as testosterone. Together, estrogen and progesterone control menstruation. Estrogen also influences how your body uses calcium and maintains cholesterol levels in the blood.

As menopause nears, your ovaries no longer release eggs into the fallopian tubes, and you’ll have your last menstrual cycle.

Hormone deficiency in menopause

In women over 40 years old, low estrogen can be a sign of approaching menopause. This time of transition is called perimenopause.

During perimenopause your ovaries will still produce estrogen.

Production will continue to slow until you reach menopause.

MENOPAUSE