A natural yet complex stage of life, menopause brings hormonal changes and an array of physical and emotional symptoms. The more you understand these symptoms, the easier it may be to manage them. This guide explains menopause and aims to empower women to approach and adapt to this stage of their lives with confidence and success.
Menopause is the stage of life when menstrual periods cease and a woman’s ability to have children comes to an end. From a medical and technical perspective, menopause is the 12 months after a woman’s last menstrual cycle.
The period before menopause is called perimenopause, a time when periods become less frequent due to ovarian function gradually declining. There is also the period after menopause, known as postmenopause, which lasts for the remainder of the woman’s life.
As for when menopause starts, it generally occurs in the women’s early 50s, with perimenopause beginning in the 40s, or generally around eight to 10 years before menopause. However, there are cases of early menopause, which can be caused by surgery, chemotherapy, genetics, or other factors.
There are various symptoms associated with menopause, most of which are linked to large hormonal shifts within a woman’s body. The ovaries, which not only produce eggs but also produce key hormones, like oestrogen and progesterone, become gradually less active.
These hormones help control menstruation and impact other bodily functions and mood. During menopause, the production of these hormones is greatly reduced. This can affect both the body and mind, ending the menstrual cycle and causing hot flashes, mood swings, and other symptoms.
Various signs of menopause can indicate that the process has begun. A 12-month absence of a period can indicate that menopause has begun. But there may be earlier signs including gradual changes to periods, regarding frequency and flow, and physical symptoms, like night sweats, hot flushes, and vaginal dryness.
Some women find it helpful to track their symptoms and periods to record changes over time. Blood tests can also help you learn about your hormone levels. Additionally, it is best to contact your doctor if you’re unsure, want clarification about symptoms or what to expect next.
As explained earlier, this process has three main stages: perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. The sections below will provide a detailed review of each stage and its associated symptoms.
Perimenopause is the pre-menopause phase. It typically begins in a woman’s mid-to-late 40s and may last up to 10 years before menopause itself begins. Some women have much shorter perimenopause stages that last a single year or even just a few months.
During this stage, ovarian function declines and levels of oestrogen and progesterone decline. However, periods will continue, albeit more irregularly, and women can still become pregnant during this stage.
Early menopause symptoms vary from person to person, with some women experiencing more dramatic and varied effects than others. These may include:
Note that there are ways to manage and treat these symptoms, including vaginal atrophy treatment and therapy.
Menopause occurs when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. This indicates that her periods have ceased, marking the end of her childbearing years. The average age at which this occurs is 51, though it may happen earlier or later. Many of the hormonal, physical, and emotional effects of perimenopause, along with symptoms like hot flushes and vaginal dryness, persist at this point.
Along with the aforementioned symptoms, women may also experience:
These symptoms present new challenges to daily life but are mostly manageable with the help of lifestyle and dietary adjustments, as well as specialist treatments.
Postmenopause is the third and final stage of menopause and lasts for the rest of a woman’s life. The ovaries will still produce some low levels of hormones, but far less than before. Ovulation and menstruation will have stopped entirely, and the menopause symptoms may stabilise or ease off.
At this stage, long-term health management is key. Many women find it effective to make changes to their lifestyle and diet to prioritise their heart and bone health and improve their quality of life. It is also wise to monitor any symptoms you experience or changes to your body or emotional state and discuss them with your doctor.
The symptoms of postmenopause are largely similar to those of the previous stages, but usually less severe. Many women find that hot flushes and mood swings lessen or stop entirely at this point, while some women have no notable symptoms. Others may experience weight change, changes to their libido, emotional changes, skin and vaginal dryness, urinary issues, and a slower metabolism.
As explained above, menopause brings many changes and challenges. The sections below will summarise how these changes can impact both your physical and mental state, and how to manage and treat them.
During menopause, women may experience numerous physical symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats, which can arrive suddenly and disrupt one’s daily routine or take a toll on mood.
It can also be harder to sleep, and this can have a knock-on effect on other areas of life, such as metabolism, activity levels, and weight gain.
There are also the usual signs of ageing that occur during this period and may be exacerbated by the effects of menopause, such as drier skin and loss of hair lustre and volume.
Fortunately, there are also many ways to manage these effects, like:
Menopause also takes a toll on one’s emotional state. It can bring with it mood swings, anxiety, depression, and irritability.
Some women also experience memory problems, or “brain fog,” moments when it suddenly becomes difficult to concentrate, focus, or pinpoint a specific fact or memory.
The physical changes mentioned above can also affect your emotions. Some women may struggle with a loss of confidence or self-esteem as their bodies change and the signs of age become clearer.
Again, there are ways to combat and counteract this:
Menopause often impacts sex drive, or libido, for various reasons. Firstly, hormonal levels are directly linked to libido. When those levels shift or drop, libido can also change. Additionally, many of the symptoms and changes menopause brings – including vaginal atrophy and dryness – can make sex more difficult, painful, and less pleasant for women.
However, not all women experience purely negative impacts on their libido. For some, the opposite occurs, and their sex drive increases. Again, this has multiple explanations. Some women feel more comfortable having sex in the knowledge that there is no risk of pregnancy, for example, and others find they feel freer and comfortable in their bodies to engage and express themselves sexually.
For many women, a mixture of these two extremes may occur, with moments of decreased libido and other moments where it rises. Regardless of your particular experiences, open communication is always recommended and crucial. Healthy dialogue with your partner can help maintain or strengthen intimacy, and, once again, there are support networks and professionals available to assist you when needed.
Technically speaking, menopause is a mere moment in time, not a phase or stage. It is the point at which periods have stopped for a full year. The phase before that, perimenopause, can last for months or years, and up to a decade in extreme cases, while the phase afterwards, postmenopause, lasts for the rest of your life.
You can get pregnant during perimenopause, or in the period leading up to menopause. However, once postmenopause begins, pregnancy is no longer possible. For this reason, you may continue using birth control until you are sure that menopause has arrived.
The average age for menopause is 51. However, it is important to note that some people experience menopause much earlier in life, even in their mid-30s in rare cases. In others, it is delayed until the mid to late 50s. There are also cases in which menopause is effectively induced earlier on, due to surgical operations, like a hysterectomy and removal of the ovaries, for example.