What Is Menopause? | National Institute on Aging

Menopause is a point in time 12 months after a woman's last period. The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their ... Skiptomaincontent The.govmeansit’sofficial. Federalgovernmentwebsitesoftenendin.govor.mil.Beforesharingsensitiveinformation,makesureyou’reonafederalgovernmentsite. Thesiteissecure. The https:// ensuresthatyouareconnectingtotheofficialwebsiteandthatanyinformationyouprovideisencryptedandtransmittedsecurely. Breadcrumb Home HealthInformation WhatIsMenopause? WhatIsMenopause? Onthispage: Larissa'sstory Larissais52.She'sexcitedtobestartinganewphaseofherlifeasherchildrenleavehomeandshehasmoresparetimeforherotherinterests.She'slookingforwardtotravelingandtakingapotteryclass. Butrecenthealthchangeshavebeengettinginthewayofherplans.Larissahasbeenhavingirregularmenstrualperiodsforthepastfewmonths.Now,she'shavinghotflashesandtroublesleeping.Thehotflashes,whichcauseherbodyandfacetoheatupquicklyanduncomfortably,arewakingherupseveraltimesanight.Larissaistiredandirritablefromlackofsleepandfedupwiththehotflashes.Sheisreadytotalkwithherdoctoraboutfindingsomerelief. Larissaisexperiencingthemenopausaltransition,anormalpartofagingforwomen.Menopauseisnotadiseaseordisorder.Thistimeinawoman'slifeisoftenfullofothertransitionsinadditiontophysicalones:Womenmaybecaringforagingparentsorrelatives,supportingtheirchildrenastheymoveintoadulthood,ortakingonnewresponsibilitiesatwork. Somewomendon'thaveanytroublewithmenopausalsymptomsandmayevenfeelrelievedwhentheynolongerneedtoworryaboutpainfulperiodsorgettingpregnant.Forotherwomen,themenopausaltransitioncanbringhotflashes,troublesleeping,painduringsex,moodinessandirritability,depression,oracombinationofthesesymptoms.Somemaydecidetotalkwiththeirdoctoraboutlifestylechangesormedicationstotreattheirsymptoms. Understandingthemenopausaltransition Menopauseisapointintime12monthsafterawoman'slastperiod.Theyearsleadinguptothatpoint,whenwomenmayhavechangesintheirmonthlycycles,hotflashes,orothersymptoms,arecalledthemenopausaltransitionorperimenopause. Themenopausaltransitionmostoftenbeginsbetweenages45and55.Itusuallylastsaboutsevenyearsbutcanbeaslongas14years.Thedurationcandependonlifestylefactorssuchassmoking,ageitbegins,andraceandethnicity.Duringperimenopause,thebody'sproductionofestrogenandprogesterone,twohormonesmadebytheovaries,variesgreatly. Themenopausaltransitionaffectseachwomanuniquelyandinvariousways.Thebodybeginstouseenergydifferently,fatcellschange,andwomenmaygainweightmoreeasily.Youmayexperiencechangesinyourboneorhearthealth,yourbodyshapeandcomposition,oryourphysicalfunction. Isitmenopause? Ifyouarehavingsymptomsthatarecommonduringmenopause,yourdoctormayaskquestionsaboutyourage,symptoms,andfamilyhistorytodetermineifitreallyisthemenopausaltransitioncausingyourproblems.Insomecases,yourdoctormaysuggestabloodtesttocheckyourfollicle-stimulatinghormone(FSH)andestradiol(E2)levelstoruleoutanyothercausesforthechangesyou'reexperiencing. Readandsharethisinfographictohelpspreadthewordaboutstepswomencantaketowardoptimalhealthduringandaftermenopause. Whilethemenopausaltransitionmaycommonlybereferredtoas"menopause,"truemenopausedoesn'thappenuntiloneyearafterawoman’sfinalmenstrualperiod.Forthatreason,awomanwhodoesnotwanttogetpregnantshouldcontinuetousebirthcontrolforatleastafull12monthsafterherlastperiod. Menopausecanalsobetriggeredbyahysterectomyorsurgicalremovaloftheovaries,whichproducehormones.Ifyouhavesurgerytoremoveyouruterusorovariesandarenottakinghormones,youwillexperiencesymptomsofmenopauseimmediately. Aftermenopause,womenenterpostmenopause.Postmenopausalwomenaremorevulnerabletoheartdiseaseandosteoporosis.Duringthistime,itisimportanttocontinuetoeatahealthydiet,beactive,andmakesureyougetenoughcalciumforoptimalbonehealth. Whatarethesignsandsymptomsofmenopause? Estrogenisusedbymanypartsofawoman’sbody.Aslevelsofestrogendecrease,youcouldhavevarioussymptoms.Manywomenexperiencemildsymptomsthatcanbetreatedbylifestylechangessuchasavoidingcaffeineorcarryingaportablefan.Somewomendon’trequireanytreatmentatall,butforothers,symptomscanbemoresevere.Theseverityofsymptomsvariesgreatlyaroundtheworldandbyraceandethnicity. Herearethemostcommonchangesyoumightnoticeatmidlife.Somemaybepartofagingratherthandirectlyrelatedtomenopause. Changeinyourperiod.Thismightbewhatyounoticefirst.Yourperiodsmaynolongerberegular.Theymaybeshorterorlastlonger.Youmightbleedmoreorlessthanusual.Theseareallnormalchanges,buttomakesurethereisn’taproblem,seeyourdoctorif: Yourperiodshappenveryclosetogether. Youhaveheavybleeding. Youhavespotting. Yourperiodslastmorethanaweek. Yourperiodsresumeafternobleedingformorethanayear. Hotflashes.Manywomenhavehotflashes,whichcanlastformanyyearsaftermenopause.Theymayberelatedtochangingestrogenlevels.Ahotflashisasuddenfeelingofheatintheupperpartorallofyourbody.Yourfaceandneckmaybecomeflushed.Redblotchesmayappearonyourchest,back,andarms.Heavysweatingandcoldshiveringcanfollow.Hotflashescanbeverymildorstrongenoughtowakeyouup(callednightsweats).Mosthotflasheslastbetween30secondsand10minutes.Theycanhappenseveraltimesanhour,afewtimesaday,orjustonceortwiceaweek.FindinformationonmanaginghotflashesinHotFlashes:WhatCanIDo? Bladdercontrol.Alossofbladdercontroliscalledincontinence.Youmayhaveasuddenurgetourinate,orurinemayleakduringexercise,sneezing,orlaughing.Thefirststepintreatingincontinenceistoseeadoctor.Bladderinfectionsalsocanoccurinmidlife. Sleep.Aroundmidlife,somewomenstarthavingtroublegettingagoodnight’ssleep.Maybeyoucan’tfallasleepeasily,oryouwaketooearly.Nightsweatsmightwakeyouup.Andifyouwakeupduringthenight,youmighthavetroublefallingbacktosleep.LearnhowtoimproveyoursleepduringthemenopausaltransitionandbeyondinSleepProblemsandMenopause:WhatCanIDo? Vaginalhealthandsexuality.Aftermenopause,thevaginamaybecomedrier,whichcanmakesexualintercourseuncomfortable.ReadaboutoptionsforaddressingvaginalpainduringsexinSexandMenopause:TreatmentforSymptoms.Youmayalsofindthatyourfeelingsaboutsexarechanging.Youcouldbelessinterested,oryoucouldfeelfreerandsexierbecauseafteronefullyearwithoutaperiod,youcannolongerbecomepregnant.However,youcouldstillbeatriskforsexuallytransmitteddiseases(STDs),suchasgonorrheaorHIV/AIDS.YourriskforanSTDincreasesifyouhavesexwithmorethanonepersonorwithsomeonewhohassexwithothers.Ifso,makesureyourpartnerusesacondomeachtimeyouhavesex. Moodchanges.Youmightfeelmoodierormoreirritablearoundthetimeofmenopause.Scientistsdon’tknowwhythishappens.It’spossiblethatstress,familychangessuchasgrowingchildrenoragingparents,ahistoryofdepression,orfeelingtiredcouldbecausingthesemoodchanges.Talkwithyourprimarycareprovideroramentalhealthprofessionalaboutwhatyou’reexperiencing.Therearetreatmentsavailabletohelp. Yourbodyseemsdifferent.Yourwaistcouldgetlarger.Youcouldlosemuscleandgainfat.Yourskincouldbecomethinner.Youmighthavememoryproblems,andyourjointsandmusclescouldfeelstiffandachy.Researchersareexploringsuchchangesandhowtheyrelatetohormonesandgrowingolder. Inaddition,forsomewomen,symptomsmayincludeachesandpains,headaches,andheartpalpitations.Followupwithadoctor.Becausemenopausalsymptomsmaybecausedbychanginghormonelevels,itisunpredictablehowoftenwomenwillexperiencesymptomsandhowseveretheywillbe. Treatingmenopausesymptoms:What'srightforme? Decidingwhetherandhowtotreatthesymptomsofmenopausaltransitioncanbecomplicatedandpersonal.Discussyoursymptoms,familyandmedicalhistory,andpreferenceswithyourdoctor.Nomatterwhatyoudecide,seeyourdoctoreveryyeartotalkaboutyourtreatmentplananddiscussanychangesyouwanttomake. Learnaboutoptionstohelpyoumanagehotflashes,sleepproblems,andsexproblemsduringthemenopausaltransition. ReadaboutthistopicinSpanish.Leasobreestetemaenespañol. Signupforemailupdatesonhealthyaging EmailAddress Formoreinformationonmenopause Officeon Women'sHealth                                             DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices 800-994-9662 www.womenshealth.gov AmericanCollegeofObstetriciansandGynecologists 800-673-8444  [email protected] www.acog.org NorthAmericanMenopauseSociety 440-442-7550 [email protected] www.menopause.org ThiscontentisprovidedbytheNIHNationalInstituteonAging(NIA).NIAscientistsandotherexpertsreviewthiscontenttoensureitisaccurateanduptodate. Contentreviewed:September30,2021 Articles ParticipatinginActivitiesYouEnjoyAsYouAge QuittingSmokingforOlderAdults AdvanceCarePlanning GettingYourAffairsinOrder LatestNews NIAstatementonamyloidbetaproteindementiaresearch 07/29/2022 RelatedArticles SleepProblemsandMenopause:WhatCanIDo? 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