Menopause Cycle

Menopause, also known as "the change," is a condition that all menstruating women will transition into at some point in their adult lives. It marks the end of your reproductive years and is considered a natural biological process. There are stages of menopause, and these stages occur to help your body transition through the change.

Time-Frame

• The stages of menopause usually begin in your early 40s and continue throughout your life.

Stages

• Perimenopause is the stage that comes right before menopause, and it lasts from two to eight years. During this time, your body will slowly decrease production of the hormone estrogen, which is responsible for the functioning of your menstrual cycle. During perimenopause, your menstrual cycle may become highly irregular, causing periods to be sporadic, heavier, lighter, shorter or longer. This results directly from declining levels of estrogen.

  Menopause follows perimenopause, and generally occurs around the ages of 45 to 55. Your period may become sparser at this time, as the levels of estrogen are still declining. Accompanying the irregular menstruation are several other symptoms, which include hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness, heart racing and heart pounding. As these symptoms can signal other medical conditions, you will have to take blood tests used to measure significant hormone levels before you are diagnosed.

  Once you have had an absent period for 12 months, you will be in the postmenopausal stage. When you reach this stage, you will have the same symptoms that you experienced in menopause, minus the menstrual cycle. Due to the levels of estrogen being so low at this point, it is impossible to ovulate or have another menstrual cycle.

Changes

• Aside from the declining estrogen levels, you may experience a variety of physical and mental changes. Some women find they gain weight during this time. Low estrogen levels can cause vaginal dryness, which causes dryness, itching and stinging during and after sex. Using lubricants can help replace the moisture during this time. Some women also report hair loss, mood swings and depression.

Exceptions

• In some cases menopause can come on suddenly with no transitioning period. This is called premature menopause. Premature menopause occurs before the age of 40 and is usually the result of a medical treatment, such as full hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries. Women who go through premature menopause may not go through the transitional stages that usually come before post menopause.

Special Considerations

• During menopause, women run a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Taking a calcium supplement daily may help to prevent this. In addition, women may experience vaginal bleeding or spotting, which for the most part is perfectly normal. This happens due to declining levels of estrogen, which causes the uterine walls to thin out. This thinning causes the blood vessels inside to weaken and burst. These frequent bursts can cause a small amount of blood to escape. If you are at all concerned about the bleeding, or you find you are bleeding more than a small amount, you may want to see your physician as this could indicate a health condition unrelated to menopause.