The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause. The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years.
There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
Women often develop irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and fatigue as estrogen production declines. These symptoms usually develop three to five years before a woman's last period — a time referred to as perimenopause.
Postmenopause is the time after menopause, when a woman hasn't experienced a period for over a year. Postmenopause, you will no longer have periods but some women do continue to experience symptoms of menopause.
The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years. The duration can depend on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age it begins, and race and ethnicity.
Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause. During perimenopause, levels of estrogen, a key female hormone, start to decrease. You may begin having menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes or irregular periods. Perimenopause can last for years.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
Exercise is key in getting to and staying at a weight that supports your health at any age. During menopause, it can help you lose belly fat. Research on exercise as a weight-loss method in menopausal people has shown it can be very effective.
On average, women gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during this time,” she says. For the sake of simple math, this means if you weigh 100 pounds, on average you will gain five pounds in the two years after your final period. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are expected to gain at least 10 pounds.
And the consensus was that the majority of women feel better once they're through the menopause. They have a much better life and lots of other aspects tend to be more positive as well.
At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
Menopause is one point in a continuum of life stages for women and marks the end of their reproductive years. After menopause, a woman cannot become pregnant, except in rare cases when specialized fertility treatments are used.
Take a break from vaginal intercourse. Try massage, oral sex, sensual baths, manual stimulation, or caressing. A variety of pleasuring techniques can also be explored with or without partners. Sexual enhancement creams, vaginal lubricants, and moisturizers can be found at most neighborhood or online pharmacies.
Hot flashes and vaginal dryness are the two symptoms most frequently linked with menopause. Other symptoms associated with menopause include sleep disturbances, urinary complaints, sexual dysfunction, mood changes, and quality of life.
Communication is key. Ask them about how they feel or what they're going through. It's important to keep in mind that not everyone might want to talk about certain symptoms or feelings. It is also important to remember that everyone's menopause is different so don't make assumptions about what they are experiencing.
Many men are uncomfortable discussing menopause, Saltz says, but try to talk about ways you can help relieve her symptoms as a team. Ask how you can ease their stress. Also, encourage better sleep habits, or start an exercise regimen together.
The issues of a sexless marriage, low libido and painful sex are all common in the menopause years.