Menopause

Menopause occurs when a woman's ovaries stop producing eggs that could be fertilized. A normal menopausal transition lasts about four to five years, but during this time women may experience significant variations in their reproductive hormone levels. On average, symptoms of menopause begin in a woman’s early 50s, however they can start earlier or later depending on genetic factors and lifestyle choices.

Menopausal symptoms that result from the decreased production of estrogen, the primary female sex hormone responsible for mature women's secondary sexual characteristics (e.g., breast development), include hot flushes and vaginal dryness. The lack of progesterone, another key reproductive hormone associated with menstruation, may also cause symptoms. Not all women will experience these menopause symptoms.

The frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms vary from one woman to the next and tend to be worse among older women. Only about 25% of all women who reach menopause experience significant hot flushes and night sweats, but these symptoms tend to be more troubling among women who have a history of breast cancer or a family member with ovarian cancer.

Women's bodies change significantly during perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause itself. Symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness are often experienced differently by individual women. There is no single explanation for why some women experience more severe symptoms than others; it most likely depends on a woman's age when she enters the years leading up to menopause, her genetic makeup, how long she has been experiencing symptoms and associated risk factors.

For many women, perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms are the first sign that they are approaching the menopause. These changes are often significant enough to prompt a visit to a doctor, but for women whose menopausal transition is uneventful, the first they usually hear about it is when their periods stop.