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Menopause occurs at an average age of 51, but can vary greatly. Perimenopause can start as early as 15 years before menopause. Symptoms include changes in menstrual cycle, PMS symptoms, vaginal dryness, and weight gain. Doctors can measure estrogen levels to determine proximity to menopause. Hot flashes are a common symptom. Women can still get pregnant during menopause and should take precautions.
Menopause, the end of a woman’s monthly ovulation and monthly menstrual periods, occurs at age 51 on average. This is an average number, which does not take into account the large variance. Some women start menopause much earlier, others much later. One of the predictors is the age at which your mother started menopause. While menopause itself, when menstruation and ovulation truly stop, is usually easy to recognize, it’s not so easy to recognize if you’re entering menopause and if you’re going through the stage called perimenopause or premenopause, which can occur as early as 15 years old. before menstruation actually stopped. There are a few signs and symptoms that indicate you may be entering menopause, as well as medical tests that can help you decide if this life change is on the way.
As early as their thirties, some women may be thinking of entering menopause due to changes to their monthly cycle. Periods can get heavier or lighter. If you have had a predictable period in the past, this can change and periods can occur more or less frequently and come unexpectedly. Just like when you first started your period, it’s a good idea to keep some maxi pads or tampons with you in case an unexpected period strikes.
At the onset of menopause, women may also notice subtle changes in PMS symptoms. Cramping or heavier bleeding may occur, headaches are common, and mood swings or depression may be present not only during or before your period, but throughout the rest of the month as well. Vaginal dryness can occur more easily, making sexual intercourse uncomfortable without additional lubrication.
As estrogen begins to decline, women may also notice other perimenopause symptoms, such as fat accumulation around the waist, and overall weight may be more difficult to lose. Do not despair; it is still possible to lose weight, especially if you focus on daily exercise and a good diet. Strength training can really help, as slightly more muscle mass helps burn more calories.
While you’re still in your 30s or 40s, even if you think you’re entering menopause, it’s important to have this assumption verified by a doctor. Spotting between periods, which you might think of as simply irregular periods, can indicate conditions like fibroids or, in some cases, uterine cancer. Even if you think your period is almost over, regular yearly gynecological checkups are still very important.
What doctors can do to determine if you’re close to menopause is measure your blood levels of estrogen, usually specifically taken and measured around the third day of your cycle. This is a simple blood test, but it may need to be repeated over several months to get an accurate reading of the actual decrease in estrogen levels. Since each woman can have different estrogen levels each month, measuring several months of data can give your doctor a fairly accurate way to determine how many months/years you are away from truly entering menopause.
As true menopause approaches, other symptoms begin to emerge. The most recognizable of these is hot flashes, a truly unpleasant experience that can make you blush, sweat profusely, or suddenly feel like you’ve stepped into the Sahara, even if it’s below freezing outside. Hot flashes are part of perimenopause and can continue for several years after menopause has occurred.
It is important to remember that when you enter menopause, you are still quite capable of getting pregnant. Children born to women in their 40s were until recently usually called “changed” children; yet many women now wait to have children until they are older. Take a lesson from past generations on this, though, if you don’t want to have one or more children. The onset of menopause doesn’t mean you’re infertile, and you should still take precautions to prevent pregnancy up to a couple of years after your last period.
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