The age of menopause is different for each woman. Besides, even the symptoms may vary. Some women may experience hot flashes and sleep problems while others may be enjoying a new sense of freedom and energy. Besides, for many, they might hardly be aware of a change at all.
Menopause is just a normal part of life, like puberty. It is the time of your last period, but the symptoms can begin several years earlier. Some symptoms of menopause can last for months or even for years. It is the changing levels of estrogen and progesterone, the two female hormones made in your ovaries, which lead to these symptoms.
This time of change is called the menopausal transition, and is also called peri-menopause by many women as well as their doctors. This can begin several years before your last menstrual period. Perimenopause tends to last for 1 year after your last period. After a full year without a period, you can say that you have been through menopause. Postmenopause follows menopause. It lasts the rest of your life.
The average age of menopause is 51. But, some women may have their last period in their forties, and some may have it later in their fifties. This way, the age of menopause varies. Smoking too can lead to early menopause. So can some kinds of operations.
Hysterectomy will make your periods stop, and that’s menopause for you. But you may not have menopause symptoms like hot flashes right then since your ovaries are untouched. Later, when your ovaries start to make less estrogen, the menopause symptoms will start. This way, the age of menopause varies.
Women tend to have different signs or symptoms at menopause. This is because estrogen is used by many different parts of the body. There are some common changes that you might notice at midlife. Some of these may be a part of aging rather than menopause.