Much like taking a journey into the unknown without any maps or directions, stepping into a new stage in life such as menopause can be quite daunting. After going twelve months without a menstrual period, menopause is diagnosed, and that’s when a woman starts to experience a range of menopausal symptoms.
The journey through menopause consists of four different stages, and it’s very much like visiting four different places. While menopause can be a bumpy ride, navigating it is much easier when you have a general idea of what you can expect.
When does menopause start?
The first sign that natural menopause has started is that a woman’s menstrual cycle becomes irregular. For some, it may be in their 40’s while for others it may happen in their 50’s or 60’s.
There are exceptions, however. Some women may even enter menopause before their 40th birthday, something that is referred to as premature menopause.
Although menopause is a biological process that occurs naturally as we age, sometimes certain medical treatments and procedures may suppress ovarian activity and menstrual cycle, thus causing menopause to start. This is referred to as induced menopause, and it’s usually caused by treatments of a disease, surgeries, or illnesses.
There are different factors affecting age of onset of menopause. Generally speaking, the exact age when it will start will be mainly determined by your genes, and you’re likely to reach it at a similar age as your sister or mother.
Stage 1 and 2 – Pre-menopause and perimenopause
The two stages can be quite similar, which is why the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, it’s important to make a distinction between the two, as they involve different symptoms.
For starters, you still have periods in the pre-menopause stage, whether they’re regular or irregular. Also, there are no symptoms of perimenopause or menopause. You may experience certain hormonal changes, but bodily changes are still absent at this stage. Although your fertility is declining, you’re still seen as being in reproductive years.
Because they can still conceive during these two stages, it’s important that women take necessary measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as take pregnancy tests in case of missed periods to be sure that they’re not pregnant and may have entered perimenopause.
Once perimenopause starts, you may notice your periods decreasing. You may also experience certain symptoms (both emotional and physical ones), and this can happen months or even years before perimenopause starts. Some of them include:
- Problems concentrating
- Headaches
- Forgetfulness
- Loss of sex drive
- Hot flashes
- Irregular periods
- Weight gain
- Breast tenderness
- Heavier or lighter periods than usual
- Hair changes
- Fertility problems (those trying to conceive)
- Urinary tract infections
Stage 3 – Menopause
This is the stage we’ve all heard numerous stories about. While some of them may be true, others are just myths surrounding a health topic.
This stage is when you’ll have your last period. Your estrogen levels will start dropping, and you may experience a number of symptoms, not just physical but also emotional ones. Some of these symptoms such as hot flashes and increase in cholesterol levels may occur during the previous stage (perimenopause), but some women may not even experience hot flashes at all. While certain symptoms may be disruptive and unpleasant, relying on menopause supplements as well as natural remedies can be a great way to control the symptoms safely and naturally. Some of the symptoms you can expect during this stage include:
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Sleep problems (insomnia)
- Low energy levels
- Frequent urination
- Dry skin and vaginal dryness
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Loss of sex drive
- Weight gain
- Increased cholesterol levels
Stage 4 – Post-menopause
Following menopause, the final stage is referred to as post-menopause. This is the stage where many of the symptoms women have gone through before starting menopause will start to slowly decrease, and in many cases, they will completely go away after a year or two. Using contraception is still recommended until you confirm with your doctor that you’re postmenopausal.
The energy levels may go up during this stage, but due to hormonal changes and a drop in estrogen and progesterone levels, you may still be at risk of certain conditions such as osteoporosis and heart disease. Regular health check-ups are a must, and some of the screening tests you should get include:
- Mammograms
- Pap smears
- Pelvic exams
- Breast exams
When combined with a healthy lifestyle and/or medications, they can help reduce the risks of such conditions in post-menopausal women and help them achieve optimal health.
Wrapping up
It’s true that certain menopausal symptoms may be somewhat disruptive to a woman’s routine. However, there are many ways to ensure the transition goes a lot smoother. Finally, the whole process becomes much more bearable when you know what to expect.
