Early Signs Of Menopause:
Menopause is a natural and normal part of the aging process. Once you’re in menopause, you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. It’s common to experience symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes.
Ultimately, your body is preparing to transition to menopause, when you lose the ability to get pregnant. It’s a natural and normal progression in a woman’s reproductive cycle. Menopause is the time that see post marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.
An estimated 40 percent of women ages 60 to 65 still get hot flashes. In the postmenopausal stage, your risk for heart disease can increase. Talk with your doctor about making lifestyle changes to protect yourself against heart disease and other age-related diseases. About 5 percent of women go into early menopause, experiencing symptoms between the ages of 40 and 45.
If your surgeon also removes your ovaries, you’ll have symptoms of menopause immediately. One of the symptoms of the transition to menopause you can try these out is dry eyes. However, it’s still important to use protection (condoms) during sex if you’re not in a monogamous relationship.
Most likely, you’ll experience some irregularity in your periods before they end. You can’t reverse menopause or make your ovaries function normally again. However, your provider can help reduce the symptoms and side effects of menopause. In the case of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), there’s a small possibility you’ll regain ovarian function. It’s important to discuss the pros and cons of hormone therapy with your provider. If you have infertility as a result of early or premature menopause, discuss your options with a fertility specialist, who can help you achieve your goal of becoming a parent.
It can happen naturally or be caused by treatment for other conditions. A fertility specialist may also suggest procedures that can help you have children. Talk with your doctor about the options available to you for becoming a parent. Their risks and successes see can be affected by many factors, including your age and overall health. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of your individual care before starting HRT. Lower doses of hormones may decrease your risk of experiencing these conditions.
Anything that damages your ovaries or stops estrogen production can cause early menopause. This includes chemotherapy for cancer or an oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries). However, some evidence suggests early menopause may actually protect people from developing estrogen-feeding cancers, such as breast cancer. People who experience early menopause are more likely to have more severe symptoms of menopause.
It is a great place to meet locally and share feelings and coping strategies with like-minded women. Menopause marks the natural end of fertility and occurs 12 months after the last period. Herbs and supplements may help manage some effects of menopause. For instance, calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. These changes are linked to a loss of active ovarian follicles.
Then, a woman will often experience skipped periods that may occur once in awhile or even for several cycles. This is normal, and a sign that a woman’s ovaries are not releasing eggs (called ovulating) monthly anymore. Research has shown Black women have more serious menopause symptoms, like hot flashes, sleep problems, and depression, than White women. But they’re less likely to get hormone therapy or other treatments. They also go through menopause an average of 8 years earlier. Some studies show Hispanic and Native Hawaiian women may begin menopause at an earlier age than White women.
Stress from your daily activities, work or other life events isn’t a reason you’ll go into early or premature menopause. If you feel stress that interferes with your daily life or happiness, talk to a healthcare provider about your symptoms. The benefits and risks of hormone therapy vary depending on your age and health history.
If you’re waking up a lot at night, tossing and turning, and generally suffering with insomnia, it might be connected with menopause. If it’s mild, however, chances are it’s connected with your depleted estrogen. Even so, though, it’s probably wise to check with your doctor to be sure there is no other cause. It’s the level of your FSH that typically indicates whether you are in menopause. This test (and others) is discussed on the Tests page as well as in our FAQs. We also recommend you visit our helpsheet on coping with your diagnosis on an emotional level.