Menopause: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

Menopause: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

The cessation of menstrual cycles at the end of a woman's reproductive period is termed menopause. It is a normal biological process. However, the mental and physical side effects of menopause include hot flashes, irritation, depression, and sleep disturbances. Read on to understand the stages, symptoms, causes, treatments, and simple home remedies of menopause.

The cessation of menstrual cycles at the end of a woman's reproductive period is termed menopause. It is a normal biological process. However, the mental and physical side effects of menopause include hot flashes, irritation, depression, and sleep disturbances. Read on to understand the stages, symptoms, causes, treatments, and simple home remedies of menopause.

Stages of Menopause

There are three phases of menopause:

• Perimenopause or “menopause transition”

It occurs three to five years before menopause and every woman goes through this stage at different age. The majority of women start showing menopause symptoms in their mid-to late-forties. In this stage, the progesterone and oestrogen levels start to change, and one can experience mood swings, irregular menstruation periods, and other menopausal symptoms. This stage can last between a few months and several years.

• Menopause

Menopause is a point in time when a person has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. Menopause is a natural part of aging and marks the end of your reproductive years. At this stage, your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and stopped producing most of their estrogen. On average, menopause happens at age 51.

• Post-menopause

This is the time after you haven’t had a period for an entire year. The stage marks the end of your reproductive years. In this stage, you won't ovulate or experience a menstrual cycle while your ovaries continue to produce low amounts of progesterone and oestrogen. During this stage, menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, may get better.