Menopause happens when a woman stops her menstrual bleeding cycle permanently. Many women experience menopause for about twenty years, beginning in their forties, although it varies from one lady to the next. As the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, a lady may begin to feel the symptoms of the beginnings of menopause. symptoms of menopause is usually a gradual process that stretches over several years. The menopause process has been broken into three phases: pre-menopause or perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Perimenopause can begin 3 - 5 years before your final menstrual cycle. It is documented by some experts that say perimenopause is the fifteen years before your final mentstrual cycle. Menopause symptoms may start slowly during this time. The common joke about perimenopause is that the one consistent thing about perimenopause is that its inconsistent. You may notice that your periods are not as regular, ovulation is inconsistent, your periods may last longer, and you probably will experience mood swings. You may have difficulty sleeping (menopause and insomnia).

Menopause begins once you’ve had your last menstrual cycle. Your premenopause may continue for awhile, including gaining excessive weight. Your hormone levels are decreasing, and your body is making its final adjustments to no longer being fertile. At this point, your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs, and estrogen production has dropped.

The final stage of menopause (also known as post-menopause begins when you have not had a period for a year. Nearly all of the menopausal experiences you had been having have eased, or will continue to ease up as time passes. Pregnancy is no longer a possibility. With the low amounts of estrogen, however, there are new health issues you may now be faced with like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Once a woman enters her post-menopausal phase of life, her risks of cardiovascular disease are equal to that of a man.

Menopause is natural, but it still is not welcome - but remember they are temporary. If you feel they are affecting your life in a negative way, see your careprovider. They may be able to suggest some remedies to help you get through many of the changes. Other women choose to try natural therapies or to find alternative methods to deal with the three stages of menopause.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 5:01 pm and is filed under Weight Loss And Healthy Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.