Pinpointing Menopause Signs and Symptoms

Despite the fact that menopause is a fact of life for everyone woman out there, it can still catch you by surprise. A lot of people make jokes about women not wanting to age, but with menopause, it is simply being surprised that you are suddenly old enough to be going through the change. At one point, you are not even middle aged yet; by the next, you find yourself waking up with night sweats, skipping periods, and becoming irritable. As hard as it may be for the people around us to understand, trust that when those menopause signs and symptoms sneak up on women, we are just as uncomprehending as everyone else! The good news is that you can help yourself out immensely simply being pinpointing those signs when they happen.

Understanding menopause itself is the key to recognizing its signs. It is a literally life changing event, yet the explanation behind it is nearly simplistic. Simply put, the estrogen levels in your body decline. Because estrogen triggers the release of hormones important to menstruation and ovulation, you eventually stop doing those as well. This is because you only have so many eggs between your first period and your last. The number is different for every woman of course. The point is that they are not infinite. Menopause is partly genetic. So if your mother began menopause very late in life, you likely will as well. If your mothers and your grandmothers began the process early, then there is a good chance you will too. Otherwise, there is really no telling when an individual woman will begin going through menopause. It happens when it happens. When it does happen, however, you become infertile, your periods stop - your childbearing years are over. On average, women go through menopause in their fifties.

All told, there are three parts to menopause. Some women may go through more, such as early or premature menopause, but all women go through at least the three most important ones. For that reason, the whole process can take many years to reach fruition after it has started. This, too, is at least partly dependent on genetics. The first stage is known as pre menopause or perimenopause. Your periods start getting more irregular, which has an effect on your ovulation cycle as well. That is one of the reasons why it is harder for older women to get pregnant. This stage can last as little as two years or it can run as long as six years - and that is just the average, of course. It may be more or less, it all depends on you. Hot flashes and night sweats commonly occur during this stage. Your hair, skin, and even your vagina can start to dry out, which leads to a lack of interest in sex.

Menopause itself is the second stage. It actually refers to the time following your very last period. Only after at least twelve months without a period do you actually, medically qualify as being menopausal. The symptoms of pre menopause continue during this stage.

Postmenopause is the third and final stage. Just as the name suggests, it describes the period following your very last period. The symptoms of menopause will start to decrease before disappearing altogether. You have officially started a brand new, beautiful stage of your life.