MENOPAUSE

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WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?

A woman is born with a finite number of eggs, which are stored in the ovaries. The ovaries also make the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control menstruation and ovulation. Menopause happens when the ovaries no longer release an egg every month and menstruation stops.

Menopause is considered a normal part of aging when it happens after the age of 40. But some women can go through menopause early, either as a result of surgery, such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries, such as from chemotherapy. Menopause that happens before 40, regardless of the cause, is called premature menopause.

MANAGING MENOPAUSE

According to the Office on Women’s Health, the average age women officially start menopause (or experience stopped periods) is 51. But symptoms can start early. Throughout perimenopause and menopause, the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body fluctuate as your ovaries try to keep up with your normal levels of hormone production. This fluctuation is what causes symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, sleep problems, bone loss, problems concentrating, and others.

Learn more about these common menopause symptoms, and how to deal with them to improve your overall quality of life. READ MORE

RESOURCES

There is a lot of information dealing with menopause and related issues. Here is a list of some of the more useful sites that may help answer some of your questions and give some useful information.