The Truth About Menopause

Most people know that menopause is the time in a woman's life when menstruation stops. There have been many terms for it such as "The change of life" or simply "The change". Often perceived by woman as the last bastion of youth, menopause is a multifaceted event that is often misunderstood. Aside from the wide-ranging array of physical signs & symptoms, there is a psychological component to menopause that can be just as broad. Though menopause is the actual event leading to the cessation of menstruation, there are a series of adverse physical and psychological conditions that can begin to develop years before. This series of conditions is formally known as perimenopause.

The onset of menopause varies with regard to age and the length of time that it lasts. Some women enter menopause in their mid thirties, while others may not experience symptoms until they are in their late fifties. The most common symptom reported is described as hot flashes. Insomnia, night sweats, rapid heart beat (tachycardia) and the flushing of the skin are some of the preliminary symptoms. Many women complain of irregular menstrual periods with bouts of heavy bleeding (flow). Spotting of blood between periods is also a common physical symptom. Vaginal dryness, infections and the slight leakage of urine can also be seen during menopause. Many women describe a rapidly decreasing libido, forgetfulness, mood swings, depression and anxiety as some of the psychological symptoms brought on by menopause. These symptoms can occur for one to three years until the eventual, yet final cessation of the menstrual cycle.

The physiological process of menopause is defined as the period in which a woman's ovaries stop producing eggs. The female hormones, estrogen and progesterone are dramatically decreased over time. This reduction in hormone levels can begin a decade prior to the entrance of menopause itself, and is known as perimenopause. This precursor to menopause officially ends twelve months after menstruation stops. Though some women experience perimenopause for only a few short months, most are not as fortunate.

The gradual onset of symptoms similar to those found in menopause can be devastating for women. This is especially true for younger women in their thirties who often go undiagnosed for years. Since menopause has often been stigmatized as the end of youth, many psychological issues such as anxiety and depression may surface. However, the etiology (cause) of these symptoms is often misdiagnosed as a true psychological disorder, when the origin is indeed physiological.

The diagnosis of menopause lies within the measurement of hormone levels through a series of blood tests. In addition to measuring estrogen and progesterone, it is important to determine the level of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Low levels of FSH indicate that ovulation is decreasing or has ceased entirely. This can be an indicator that the onset of menopause has begun in earnest.