Post menopause symptoms appear when a woman’s reproductive cycle comes to a permanent end in her life. The four stages of escalating change are pre menopause, perimenopause, and menopause as well as post menopause. These conclude the transition from the child bearing years to the complete cessation of periods. The average age of menopause is 50 years, with pre menopause approximately occurring 5 years before then. Perimenopause refers to an approximate four year period of time when women experience the most obvious symptoms. A woman is officially in post menopause when she goes a full 12 months without a period. These stages in a women’s life can be difficult as well as disturbing. This is because the body changes, bringing an end to the youthful part of womanhood while also conjuring up the hidden challenges ahead.
Not all women experience the exact same post menopause symptoms that were faced by their mothers and grandmothers. Although scientific research points towards certain stages of the life change, most women could ask their mothers as to their onset of pre menopause symptoms. It is a proven fact that most women begin the stage about the same time as their mothers and grandmothers. Hence checking the family history is often the most accurate indicator. Just as the onset tends to vary among the vast array of women, so do the symptoms of each woman. Estrogen levels tend to fluctuate erratically from person to person.
Some women breeze through this phase in life with little post menopause symptoms while others struggle with unending problems even into old age. It is the dramatic drop in hormone levels which is the culprit for these changes. The traditional medical approach has been to treat women with hormone replacement therapy when the estrogen levels drop to significant proportions.