Prior to menopause, there is a condition called Perimenopause, and can start up to 10 years before you enter menopause. Symptoms may gradually ease during menopause and post menopause. Post menopause begins once you have gone an entire year without menstruating.
Menopause is a normal and natural part of aging. When you are finding yourself in your 40,s, your body will likely produce less and less Estrogen until you no longer menstruate. Once you stop menstruating and have had no periods for 12 months. you will have reached menopause.
Menopause occurs in three stages:
• perimenopause
• menopause
• post menopause
Above stages are considered ‘natural’ and happens without medical interventions.
Many people confuse menopause with perimenopause. Perimenopause is the stage when a woman begins to transition into menopause. Some common symptoms of the perimenopausal phase include:
• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
Your body begins to make less Estrogen during perimenopause, and this continues until the last one or two years of perimenopause when your hormone levels drop rapidly. Perimenopause can start up to 10 years before you enter menopause. It often begins in your 40,s, but some women enter perimenopause in their 30.s.
So how long do symptoms last?
Perimenopausal symptoms can last four years on average. The symptoms associated with this phase will gradually ease during menopause and post menopause. Women who’ve gone an entire year without a period are considered postmenopausal.
Hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, are a common symptom of perimenopause. One study found that moderate to severe hot flashes could continue past perimenopause and last for up to 10 years. That’s longer than the generally accepted time frame for the duration of hot flashes.
Research also founded that women of average weight experience hot flashes for a longer period than women who are considered overweight. The reason for that is unfortunately unknown at this stage.
It’s possible for a woman to experience menopause before the age of 55. Early menopause occurs in women who go through menopause before they’re 45 years old. It’s considered premature menopause if you’re menopausal and are 40 years old or younger.
Early or premature menopause can happen for many reasons. Some women can go through early or premature menopause because of surgical intervention, like a hysterectomy. It can also happen if the ovaries are damaged by chemotherapy or other conditions and treatments.
Key Takeaways
Life after menopause isn’t much different than life during your reproductive years. It is important to eat right, exercise, and routinely consult your professional healthcare provider.
When and how long symptoms of menopause last vary for each individual, but it can, during the entire time of perimenopause and into post menopause, last about seven years.
So, take care of yourself and accept it as part of being the wonderful woman you are. Mother nature, in her infinite wisdom, also gave you the ability to adapt and make the most of it.
That's it for now until next week when we explore a few tips to manage the symptoms and make it a bit more bearable.
Francois
