Menopause is one topic women cannot avoid in life but for some reason, is rarely talked about. If anything, many people poke fun at the subject, making women even more uncomfortable about the subject than they already are. Even though this part of life can be embarrassing to deal with, it can also be a true nightmare if you aren’t prepared for it.

Simply put, menopause is the stage in life that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The thought of not having to deal with PMS every month sounds too good to be true and unfortunately—in the case of menopause - it is. What many women aren’t aware of is the fact that there are different stages of menopause: perimenopause, natural menopause and postmenopause. Each stage has its own set of symptoms that can help you recognize what part of menopause you may be experiencing.

Perimenopause

This first stage of menopause deals with the transitional period from normal menstruation to the end of menstruation altogether. While women in their 50s are the most likely to see signs of perimenopause, women as young as 40 are also starting to show these signs as well. Perimenopause can last anywhere from 5-10 years. Often women in this stage suffer from both PMS and menopausal symptoms. This typically varies from person to person.

During this time, a woman’s ovarian hormone production is in the process of declining and fluctuating, which can cause a number of symptoms, including hot flashes, mood swings, breast tenderness, and sleep problems. This is considered by many to be the worst stage of menopause. Special medication can be prescribed to help control and manage these symptoms.

Menopause

When a woman has not had her monthly cycle for over a year, this is defined as the stage of natural menopause. At this time, a woman’s body is no longer capable of producing eggs and therefore cannot become pregnant. The symptoms during menopause tend to lighten, although it is normal to continue to experience hot flashes, anxiety and mood swings.

Postmenopause

The final stage of menopause is known as postmenopause. This is the time when the body has finally finished its transition of menopausal changes. Hot flashes usually continue to occur but with less frequency and/or impact. By this time, the ovaries have decreased in size. Once menopause is officially over, it is crucial to practice good health habits to maintain and build bone mass, as well as keep the body’s hormone levels in check.

Women who eat a nutritious, calcium-rich diet, exercise daily, get regular medical checkups and take hormone replacement or herbal aids for menopausal symptoms, have the best chance at making a full and healthy recovery from this stressful and emotional phase. If you are nearing menopause, talk to your doctor at length about your concerns and what options are available to you that will help ease you through menopause.

Related Articles
	Menopause And Your Skin You wouldn’t think that your whole body would turn inside out just because it’s not producing estrogen anymore. You would be wrong. Menopause, that colorful time of life when everything that you thought you finally had figured out about your body, your mind and your emotions suddenly is moot   ...Read more		Overactive Body Odor and Finding a Solution to the Problem Body odor is normal and the situation can be easily taken care of by bathing and using a good deodorant with antiperspirant, but if you suffer from overactive body odor you know that it’s an entirely different situation. If you have overactive body odor you also know how difficult it can be   ...Read more