The Menopause Process, Sign & Stages

Once a woman reaches menopause, her menstrual cycles and ability to bear children are over. When this happens:

• Your ovaries are not producing fertility hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.
• You have gone a whole year without ovulation.

Menopause is a normal process associated with ageing. Surgery, medical treatments, and illnesses are other potential causes. Depending on what caused it, these women may experience forced menopause, surgical menopause, or primary ovarian insufficiency.

How Soon Will It Start?

Menopause often begins with the onset of perimenopause in the mid-50s. Even yet, it can occur before the big 4-0. Premature menopause is a common term for this condition. Your DNA often determines the age at which yours will begin.

What Signs Should I Look for?

An irregular cycle may be the first noticeable symptom when it begins on its own. It should end in four years when it falls behind schedule. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s not a coincidence.

• Poor Mood Swings
• Intensity Reduction
• Sweaty palms
• Sweating
• Racing heart
• Headaches
• Vaginal dryness and discomfort
• Painful sexual interaction
• Lack of sleep

Beginning anywhere from 35 to 55 years of age, menopause is an entirely normal and natural part of the ageing process. Due to a decrease in egg production and the cessation of oestrogen and progesterone production, a woman’s fertility begins to fall around menopause. You realise that pregnancy is too soon for you.

PERIMENOPAUSE

Perimenopause is the decrease in oestrogen and other hormone levels that occurs three to five years before menopause. Period irregularities and other symptoms of perimenopause often start in a woman’s late 40s.

• Sweaty palms
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders
• Night-time sweats
• An increased heart rate
• Depression, anxiety, irritability
• Sexual discomfort or vaginal dryness
• Urinary problems

Getting pregnant is still possible up to a year after your last period, so it’s best to use some form of birth control to ensure it doesn’t happen. Menstrual bleeding can be managed, and vasomotor symptoms can be treated with progestin medication. Alterations to one’s way of life are often suggested to help alleviate other bothersome symptoms.

MENOPAUSE IN THE EARLY STAGES

Early menopause can be caused by factors other than just getting older:

• After a hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus), symptoms manifest over time.
• When ovaries are surgically removed, known symptoms quickly manifest.

Ovarian inactivity or hypofunction resulting from heredity, surgery, or cancer therapies like radiation or chemotherapy is known as premature ovarian failure (POF). Poor egg production may also result from an ovarian malfunction or an inadequate number of developing follicles.

MENOPAUSE

Most women experience menopause between the ages of 51 and 52. If you haven’t had a period for 12 months due to something other than menopause (such as sickness, medicine, pregnancy, or nursing), then technically, you are in menopause. Between one and three years may pass during the transition from perimenopause through menopause to postmenopause. Remember that each woman is unique and may go through menopause. Symptoms can vary significantly from woman to woman, and some may have no symptoms.

POSTMENOPAUSE

Postmenopause begins one year following your last period. Other perimenopause symptoms may persist during menopause and postmenopause. It’s common:

• Hot flashes
• Nighttime sweats
• Rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders
• Anxiety, depression, irritability
• Urinary issues
• Vaginal dryness can cause sexual discomfort.

Low oestrogen increases the risk of heart disease, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.