The menopause, or the ‘Change of Life’ as it is often described, is a time of radical change for women. The term ‘menopause’ stands for the last menstrual period, but in general it is used to describe the period prior to actual menopause, characterised by typical symptoms such as hot flushes, night time sweats, palpitations and mood swings.
The most common time to become menopausal is between 45 - 55 years, but menopause can occur at any point in time from the onset of menstruation. So the range of women becoming menopausal is from teenagers to those who are over 60 years old, although the majority of women reach menopause by the age of 54.
During the fertile period of a woman’s life, the follicles - immature egg cells in the ovaries - produce the hormone oestrogen. This hormone is released in the blood and prepares the mucous membrane of the womb to capture a possibly fertilised egg cell. If fertilisation does not occur, the mucus is discharged gradually during the menstruation.
In the years leading up to menopause, a woman’s ovaries function less efficiently, resulting in irregular and often heavy periods. The levels of oestrogen and progesterone, another hormone produced by the ovaries, will rise and fall, and the changing levels cause the symptoms of menopause. This period can last from 6 to 12 years. Eventually the ovaries stop functioning and periods cease.
symptoms of menopause>>
