Understanding The Onset Of Menopause

Premenopause is the cycle of a womans life leading up to the last menstrual cycle of her lifetime. During this time estrogen levels start to become very erratic and low. Withdrawal from estrogen may be apparent during this phase.

Menopause is a cycle in a woman’s life when she becomes permanently infertile. It occurs long before the end of her lifetime. When menopause sets in the end of menstruation occurs. The term, menopause, is based on two greek words men (month) and pausis (cessation). The literal meaning of the word is “end of monthly cycles”.

Perimenopause is the years that a woman is transitioning through menopause. During this time the famous “hot flash” sets in. During a hot flash the body temperature increases suddenly. Hot flashes can be very intense to the point of raising the body temperature 2 to 3 degrees in a very short timespan. This can leave you feeling very weak and cause a lot of sweating. Prescriptions are available that can alleviate the intensity of hot flashes, they are called SSRI medication. Homeopathic medicine and OTC plant estrogens are also great for helping to alleviate troublesome hot flashes.

Other symptoms of perimenopause include memory loss, tiredness, migraine headaches, increased risk of atherosclerosis, frequent urination, incontinence, vaginal bleeding or discharge, change in mood or loss of sleep. During this time there is a larger chace to acquire UTI (urinary tract infection) and candidiasis. The signs of this will be either infection or inflammation in the vaginal area. Women often deal with issues related to aging, as well.

Once a woman has been infertile for a year or longer she enters a cycle called postmenopause. These two cycles typically happen around the middle of a woman’s life, between the ages of 45-55. In the United States 51 years old is the average age for women to begin experiencing menopause.

The life impacting change that happens during menopause is the stoppage of estrogen production. Once estrogen stops being produced all sorts of effects are experienced. Some of these effects are caused in the brain, skin and the entire reproductive system. Even sexual behavior is typically changed during all stages of menopause.

If the ovaries fail to work at the age of 40 this is not considered to be menopause. Rather it is called premature ovarian failure (POF). POF is not a result of the normal aging process. Chemotherapy, thyroid disease and autoimmune disorders are known to cause POF.

Premature ovarian failure can be diagnosed by taking a measure of the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone levels. If the levels read as being too high then that is proof-positive that menopause is already in the works.

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