Menopause is the permanent loss of ovarian function resulting in a total loss of fertility, it’s a completely natural process that usually happens when women get into their early 50s, but it may happen naturally at any time between 40 and 58 years old. Menopause can also happen prior to the age of 40, but this is not considered medically ‘normal’ and is usually caused by surgery, illness, or a medical treatment such as radiation or chemotherapy. This is why younger women who are undergoing medical treatments that may affect ovarian function sometimes choose to preserve and safe their eggs for future use. Sometimes these treatments result in the loss of ovarian function, this can be permanent or temporary, this condition is called premature ovarian function. Due to the possibility that ovarian function may return and fertility is restored, premature ovarian function isn’t the same as actual menopause.
The most common signs of menopause are hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, mood swings and unwanted facial hair. Other frequent but less common menopause signs include depression, anxiety, ear ringing, skin crawling sensation, loss of concentration and thinning hair. There is such a wide variety in symptoms and experiences that how a woman will experience menopause is virtually unpredictable. A lot of lifestyle factors and general health all play a part in menopause. Whether a woman exercises, controls her stress levels, has a healthy sex life, eats well and maintains a healthy weight can all influence menopause. Smoking has a dramatic effect, as smokers enter into menopause several years earlier than non-smoker. Other harder to define factors can also impact menopause, these factors include attitudes about aging and cultural expectation. Genetics is also hard to quantify, but may definitely influence the process.
Menopause doesn’t have to be the difficult transition that some women expect; a lot of women don’t get any symptoms and have absolutely no change in the overall quality of their life. The best thing a woman can do to make the menopause transition as easy as possible is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have a positive mind set.
