You have reached menopause when you have gone 12 months without having your period. Some women experience early menopause due to health conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency (where ovaries stop working normally). Menopause can also occur after surgery to remove your ovaries or uterus, or cancer treatment.
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.
Most women will have their last period around the age of 50. After 12 months without a period, menopause is complete and post-menopause begins. As menopause gets closer, your estrogen and progesterone levels start to decline more rapidly. As a result, your symptoms will likely become more intense.
It can feel different for everyone. You may have a number of symptoms or none. Symptoms usually start months or years before your periods stop. This is called the perimenopause.
Menopause is divided into three basic stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. During this time, the ovaries begin to atrophy which causes a decline in the production of the hormones that stimulate the menstrual cycle; estrogen and progesterone.
Bleeding can occur in women over 50 after they experience menopause as well. Studies show that this postmenopausal bleeding is usually caused by conditions like uterine fibroids or polyps. It can also be a sign of endometrial cancer, which affects 2 to 3% of women and is most common among postmenopausal women.
The late stages of perimenopause usually occur when a woman is in her late 40s or early 50s. In the late stages of the menopausal transition, women begin missing periods until they finally stop. About 6 months before menopause, estrogen levels drop significantly.
Once you've gone through 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, you've officially reached menopause, and the perimenopause period is over.
After menopause, the tissues of the labia minora (which surround the opening of the vagina and urethra), clitoris, vagina, and urethra become thin (atrophy). This thinning can result in chronic irritation and dryness of the vagina. Vaginal discharge and urinary tract infections are more likely to develop.
"If post-menopausal women cut back on calories and up the intensity of their exercise, they lose weight and tone up, just like younger women. It may be a bit slower, but it happens. It requires long-term adherence as well." Pinkerton suggests aiming for a 400- to 600-calorie daily deficit.
When will menopausal weight gain stop? The number on the scale won't keep going up and up. It does stabilize. But in perimenopause and those initial few years after the final menstrual cycle, we see the most pronounced amount of weight gain, which can have serious implications to health and overall wellbeing.
You can't be the same as you were before the menopause because your hormonal balance is completely different, but you can feel that much better. You don't have all the monthly energy dips and spikes, you don't have all the hormonal angst, you don't have the physical drain.
Commons Indicators for the End of Menopause
Women may find that they are sleeping better and feeling healthier overall as their hormone levels even out. This can also lead to improvements in mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body.
Many women will experience changes in body shape and composition at menopause. These changes can be among the most frustrating symptoms experienced at that time. Although actual weight gain may be modest for many women, it can add significantly to the burden for those women who are already overweight or obese.
The range for women is usually between 45 and 58. One way to tell when you might go through menopause is the age your mother went through it. Menopause may happen earlier if you: Never had children.
Periods will usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. They might be more irregular and become heavier or lighter. For some women, they can stop suddenly. Postmenopause is the time after a woman experiences her last period.
Although pregnancy after menopause is very rare, it can lead to vaginal bleeding like pregnancy in reproductive years. Thus, when women refer to clinics or hospitals with complaints of postmenopausal bleeding, the possibility of pregnancy should be included in the differential diagnosis by physicians or midwives.
There is no set age when menopause should start, but according to the Australasian Menopause Society the average age is 51. If a woman is 55 or older and still hasn't begun menopause, it is considered late-onset menopause. Menopause that occurs before age 40 is called premature.
We know that estrogen has protective effects on our bones and our heart. Two large-scale, recent studies confirm that women who reach menopause late, and thus are exposed to estrogen for longer, also tend to have fewer cardiovascular problems, such as strokes or heart attacks.
You're not alone. Occasional heavy periods, called menorrhagia, are common in perimenopause. One study of more than 1,300 middle-aged women reported that 91 percent of them experienced at least one occurrence of heavy flow lasting three or more days during a three-year timeframe.
B Vitamins
Riboflavin – found in milk, eggs, mushrooms, and fortified cereals – daily recommended intake of 1.1mg for women. Niacin – found in meat, fish, eggs, and wheat flour – daily recommended intake of 13.2mg for women. Pantothenic acid – found in chicken, beef, eggs, mushrooms, and avocados.
To increase your estrogen levels, consider adding: Boron, a mineral that helps your body absorb testosterone and estrogen. Vitamin B, which helps your body create and use estrogen. Vitamin D, which functions as a hormone in the body and helps with estrogen production.
Symptoms of low estrogen can include: Hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats are the most common symptoms of low estrogen. At times, blood rushes to your skin's surface. This can give you a feeling of warmth (hot flash).