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.