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.
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.
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.
Postmenopause is the time after you've been without a menstrual period for 12 months. During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, get milder or go away. People in postmenopause are at increased risk for osteoporosis and heart disease.
Understanding the menopausal transition
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.
It's a feeling of constantly feeling drained, zapping your energy and motivation, and causing issues with concentration and your overall quality of life. Fatigue at this level impacts your emotional and psychological well-being, too. Many women experience symptoms like these while they're going through menopause.
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.
And, at that point, your body just can't cope with everything, and your symptoms can get worse. Included in fatigue is sleep. And yes, you know, if you're getting night sweats, these are going to wake you up. Low oestrogen itself will affect the quality of your sleep.
The determining factor was the number of reproductive years. “Later age at menopause is associated with better health, longer life and less cardiovascular disease,” said Ellen B. Gold, a professor emeritus in public health at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine in this article.
Others may find they no longer feel sexual desire or no longer want to have sex and that can be really upsetting. There are lots of reasons why you might not want to have sex during menopause. This might include: vaginal dryness and discomfort that makes penetrative sex uncomfortable or painful.
If your estrogen is high, your brain energy is high,” says Dr. Mosconi. “When your estrogen declines, though, your neurons start slowing down and age faster. And studies have shown that this process can lead to the formation of amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.”
What causes the belly fat, or menopause belly? The muscle tone lost from reduced hormone production is often replaced by fatty tissue deposits. The areas where muscle is usually lost is around the midsection, so that's where the fatty tissue goes. Our genetics are also a factor.
There are plenty of potential culprits. Medications for blood pressure, sleep problems, pain and gastrointestinal reflux can induce fatigue, as can infections, conditions such as arthritis, an underactive thyroid, poor nutrition and alcohol use. All can be addressed, doctors say.
Many women experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness around the time of menopause - that they hadn't experienced before. Because there are estrogen receptors all over the body, including the joints, declining hormone levels can add to pain caused by inflammation, general wear and tear, and just plain aging.
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.
Age and lifestyle are the main culprits.
Aging and lifestyle seem to be the primary culprits behind weight gain in women around the time of menopause. Aging is associated with slowing of the metabolism. Lean body mass decreases with age while body fat accumulates throughout adulthood.
The good news is that brain fog associated with menopause is temporary. Here are tips from Jean Hailes for Women's Health to help combat brain fog. Exercise regularly. Try mindfulness and meditation to help reduce levels of anxiety and stress.
Some do acknowledge a huge upswing in desire can occur. Common advice seems to be that this could be due to a drop in estrogen, which causes an increase in the relative levels of testosterone in the system.