Menopause Age for Women

Menopause is when a woman no longer has her menstrual period. It happens to every female, typically later in life. While each woman experiences her own version of menopause, most women follow a typical pattern. This article explains about the stages of menopause for women and the different ages they can occur.

Types

• Women experience menopause three different ways: natural, premature and artificial. Natural menopause typically occurs between 45 and 55. Premature menopause can occur any time before that because of disease or an eating disorder. Artificial menopause occurs when a woman has a hysterectomy or chemotherapy that cuts off the blood supply to the ovaries.

Identification

• Premenopause is the first stage of the menopause process. Women can typically identify this stage based on different symptoms. Extra weight gain, thinning of the hair, a lower sex drive, depression, infertility and headaches are all typical signs.

Time Frame

• Premenopause is the beginning of the female "change of life." This can take several years, typically beginning when women are in their 30s or 40s. Then comes perimenopause. This takes another three years and is much more uncomfortable for women than premenopause. Due to more drastic hormonal changes, the previous symptoms of premenopause are exaggerated during perimenopause. For some women, the whole process can take 10 years.

Significance

• The age of menopause, including premenouse and perimenopause, is extremely significant, especially if you want to have children later in life. According to Lisette Stolk, a researcher from the Netherlands, women have a severe fertility drop 10 years before menopause, and five years before menopause many are already unable to conceive a child.

Fact

• Technically, women have not experienced menopause until they have gone without a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Before the 12 months are over, there is a chance, however slight, that the woman can become pregnant.