Menopause & Peri-menopause
Information on what to expect around the time of, and during the menopause
The menopause
The menopause is the natural process all women go through as they reach a certain age. It is a normal part of life and the menopause should not be thought of with dread.
Medically, menopause occurs when menstruation finally stops. However, monthly periods do not usually stop suddenly in the menopause - the odd one might be missed, they may become less regular before stopping completely.
Because of this, doctors will say that a woman has reached the menopause after her periods have stopped for one year. Beyond this point, a woman is described as post-menopausal (ie. after the menopause).
What causes the menopause?
As a woman approaches her time of menopause, her ovaries become less able to secrete female hormones. Levels of oestrogen and progesterone start to fall, ovulation and the monthly menstrual cycles become irregular.
Hence, biologically, menopause marks the end of the fertile period in a woman's life and helps serve the purpose of ensuring that a woman bearing a child is fit to do so.
Changes in hormone levels can give rise to a variety of menopause symptoms - the most common of these are hot flushes, night sweats.
Peri-menopause - or 'going through the menopause'
A woman may experience irregular periods and symptoms of the menopause for some time before her periods stop completely. This period of time is known as the peri-menopause.
Or to put it differently, the peri-menopause starts when symptoms of menopause are first noticed and ends one year after periods finally stop. During this phase, hormonal changes associated with the menopause start to happen. For the majority of women, peri-menopause will last no longer than a couple of years.
The term peri-menopause is not often used. Most women will describe this phase of life as the time of menopause, 'going through the menopause' or simply 'the menopause'.
When does it start?
There is no fixed age or time for the menopause to start. The average age for a woman to reach menopause is 52. However, menopause has been known to start as early as 35 or as late as 60 years of age. If menopause occurs in women who are under 45 years of age, it is referred to as premature menopause.
What can I expect?
Although all women will go through the menopause, there is no fixed or standard menopause experience that can be expected.
- A few women will be hardly aware of going through the menopause
- For the majority, the menopause will bring about a change in the pattern of period. In addition, menopause sweating, hot flushes or night sweats may be experienced
- A small minority of women experience more problems during the menopause, with a number of menopause symptoms severe enough to interrupt daily routine or interfere with normal life
However the menopause affects you, one thing must be remembered - the menopause is not an illness but a natural process which your body has to go through once you reach a certain age.
Benefits of the menopause
The menopause is sometimes thought of negatively, partly because it is associated with becoming older. However, there are some benefits to the menopause.
- With the menopause, monthly periods stop. Apart from being a revolution to a woman's life, those with heavy bleeds, period pain and PMS can find that menopause will bring welcome relief to days of feeling unwell
- In addition, the end of the fertile period of life with the menopause also brings benefits
Physical changes during menopause
During the peri-menopause, a number of physical changes may be noticed - most of these relate directly to the fall in hormonal levels. Some of the physical changes noticed during the menopause are:
- Your hair and nails may lose condition or strength
- Changes in connective tissue (tissue just under the skin) can make your skin seem thinner
- These same changes could also affect the tissues controlling your bladder and you may need to pass urine more frequently.
- Your bones may start to thin as a result of a drop in oestrogen levels
