Every woman in her life has to go through the difficult phase of menopause. Menopause is  bound to cause many discomforts such as sweating, hot flashes, depression and mood swings. Such symptoms are associated with perimenopause that marks the onset of menopause.  As frustrating as this could be, there is no means to avoid it. At such junctures, the only question that constantly prevails in our minds is ‘How long does menopause last?’ The answer to this cannot be given in a single line due to the complexity that surrounds the issue. However, a deeper understanding of the issue would help attain clarity.

What is menopause?

Menopause marks the stage in a woman’s life where she stops menstruating and is no longer fertile. Perimenopause denotes the period of 3-5 years that precedes menopause. During perimenopause, the estrogen levels in the body begin to lower.

Sings and Symptoms of Menopause and Peri-menopause

Menopause and Perimenopause have similar symptoms and it is often confusing to determine which one of them a woman is going through. According to experts’ opinion, menopause is confirmed only when there is no occurrence of menses for a period 12 months. Nevertheless, the symptoms begin even before completion of 12 months. Listed below are a few symptoms that are common during both Peri menopause and menopause:

• Low fertility
• Irregular periods
• Hot Flashes
• Dryness of the Vagina
• Night Sweats
• Disturbed Sleep
• Mood Swings
• Hair Loss
• Urinary Problems

How long does Menopause last?

There are numerous factors that affect menopause such as genetic conditions, lifestyle and the age at which a woman attained her puberty. These factors play a vital role in the duration of menopause. Menopause starts and ends at different ages for every woman depending on the above mentioned factors. For some women, it lasts only for 3-4 years while for a few others, it might last as long as 7-10 years. Let us say that if a woman had attained puberty at the age of 13, then there are many chances that she experiences menopause at an early stage. For some women, the age at which their mothers experienced menopause can also be a deciding factor.

Considering the above mentioned facts, the only answer available to the question ‘How long does menopause last?’ is: There is no fixed duration for menopause. All one can do to escape the discomforts is introduce few lifestyle changes such as indulging in regular physical activities, following a healthy sleep routine, trying herbal supplements and a well balanced diet.  If further complications exist, it is always advisable to consult your physician.

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menses. When a woman does not get her periods for 12 consecutive months, it is an indication that her menstrual cycle has come to an end and she is in menopause. Technically, menopause starts from the day after the last day of period in a woman’s menstrual cycle. This is highly significant as it represents the end of reproductive cycle in a woman’s life. Although, the average age of menopause is 51, in can happen anywhere between 40 to 60 years. The Signs and Symptoms of Menopause can start as early as ten years before menopause.

Stages in Menopause

Menopause isn’t a sudden process. It’s a process that happens over years. There are two transitional phases in Menopause.

• Perimenopause –The time of transition from normal menstrual cycle to menopause is referred to perimenopause. This is the stage when hormonal imbalance begins to set in. This phase can last anywhere between 2 to 10 years.
• Postmenopause – This starts from the time a woman’s menstrual cycle has ended.  Although, her menstrual cycle has ended, hormonal imbalance might still be present. Hence, it might take a while for the menopause symptoms to disappear.

Signs and Symptoms

Menopause isn’t an easy phase. Most women undergo a lot of physical and emotional stress during this period. However, the symptoms of menopause vary from one woman to another and not every woman undergoes every difficulty that results from the hormonal imbalance. Here is a list of a few common symptoms of menopause:

• Irregular Period: This is common during perimenopause. Menstrual cycles are no more regular. They might occur more frequently or sometimes once in several months. While some women might have slight bleeding, some might have severe vaginal bleeding. The duration of the cycle would also begin to vary.  In short, the menstrual cycle ceases to follow a regular pattern.
• Hot flashes and Cold Chills: Hormonal imbalance results in hot flashes. It is the feeling of sudden warmth that typically starts from face, chest or back of the neck and spreads to the entire body. This could last from a few seconds to several minutes. Sometimes, this is accompanied by night sweats. In some women, when the hormonal levels are reversed resulting in cold chills. These conditions results in sleep deprivation, tiredness, increased heart rate, decrease in concentration and also lead to emotional distress.
• Vaginal Dryness: The decrease in the level of the hormone estrogen results in vaginal dryness and makes vaginal walls thin and less elastic. This results in itching and irritation in the region. It can also cause pain during intercourse.
• Emotional Problems: While hormonal imbalance could by itself lead to a lot of emotional problems like mood swings and irritation, the pain and the discomfort resulting from other physical symptoms could just add up to the stress. Fatigue, sleep deprivation, lack of concentration, confusion, emotional outburst and memory lapses are some of the emotional problems that might arise during menopause.

The other common signs during menopause are:

• Weight gain
• Increase in allergies and acne
• Hair growth in upper lip, chest or abdomen
• Body odor
• Decreased sexual desire
• Urinary problems like urinary tract infection and urinary incontinence

Dealing with Menopause

Well, does all this sound scary? Don’t worry. Menopause isn’t some kind of disease. The problem is only due to the associated symptoms. While menopause is a normal process of aging that cannot be avoided, the signs and symptoms of menopause can easily be treated. Click here to learn how to treat menopause naturally.