Menopause is a natural biological process that all women experience as they age. It refers to the point when a woman stops having her menstrual periods and reaches the end of her reproductive years.
The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. This is when hormonal and biological changes start taking place in a woman's body as it transitions into menopause. Some common symptoms women may experience during perimenopause include:
The average age when women reach menopause is around 51 years. But it can happen anywhere between the ages of 45-55 years. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has not had her period for 12 consecutive months and no other underlying condition is causing the absence of menstrual flow.
Menopause occurs due to a natural decline in the production of key hormones like estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. As women age, their ovaries start to produce fewer reproductive hormones leading up to and after menopause. Without these hormones regulating menstruation, periods eventually stop.
Some key things to know:
The changes stemming from menopause can impact women's physical health as well as their quality of life. Managing troublesome symptoms is important. Lifestyle measures like regular exercise, stress management, and nutritional diet can help ease this transition. Seeking counsel from healthcare providers at clinics like Harmony Hormone Clinic is also beneficial to understand what treatments may be suitable. Their compassionate physicians and nurse practitioners can provide customized hormone therapy, supplements or other therapies to effectively treat symptoms arising from perimenopause or menopause.