is the physiological cessation of
Menstrual Cycles associated with advancing age in species that experience such cycles. Menopause is sometimes referred to as '''change of life''' or '''climacteric'''.
Menopause occurs as the
Ovaries stop producing
Estrogen , causing the
Reproductive System to gradually shut down. As the body adapts to the changing levels of natural
Hormone s, vasomotor symptoms such as
Hot Flash es and
Palpitation s, psychological symptoms such as increased
Depression ,
Anxiety , irritability,
Mood Swing s and lack of concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and urgency of urination appear. Together with these symptoms, the woman may also have increasingly scanty and erratic
Menstrual Period s.
Technically, ''menopause'' refers to the cessation of
Menses ; whereas the gradual process through which this occurs, which typically takes a year but may last as little as six months or more than five years, is known as ''climacteric''. Popular use, however, replaces ''climacteric'' with ''menopause''. A natural or physiological menopause is that which occurs as a part of a woman's normal aging process. However, menopause can be surgically induced by such procedures as
Hysterectomy (when this procedure includes
Oophorectomy , removal of the ovaries).
The average onset of menopause is 50.5 years, but some women enter menopause at a younger age, especially if they have suffered from
Cancer or another serious illness and undergone
Chemotherapy . ''Premature menopause'' (or ''
Premature Ovarian Failure '') is defined as menopause occurring before the age of 40, and occurs in one percent of women. Other causes of premature menopause include
Autoimmune Disorder s,
Thyroid disease, and
Diabetes Mellitus . Premature menopause is diagnosed by measuring the levels of
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and
Luteinizing Hormone (LH); the levels of these hormones will be higher if menopause has occurred. Rates of premature menopause have been found to be significantly higher in both fraternal and identical
Twins ; approximately five percent of twins reach menopause before the age of 40. The reasons for this are not completely understood. Transplants of ovarian tissue between identical twins have been successful in restoring fertility.
Post-menopausal women, especially Caucasian women of European descent, are at increased risk of
Osteoporosis .
Animals other than human beings rarely experience menopause, possibly because they simply do not live long enough to reach it (see
Grandmother Hypothesis ). However, recent studies have shown menopause in
Gorilla s, with an average age of 44 at onset.
''Perimenopause'' refers to the time preceding menopause, during which the production of hormones such as
Estrogen and
Progesterone diminishes and becomes more irregular. During this period fertility diminishes. Menopause is arbitrarily defined as a minimum of twelve months without menstruation. Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35, although it usually begins much later. It can last for a few months or for several years. The duration of perimenopause cannot be predicted in advance.
The clinical features of menopause are caused by the estrogen deficiency.
- breast atrophy
- skin thinning
- decreased elasticity
- mood disturbance
- irritability
- Fatigue
- decreased libido
- memory loss
Medical treatments for menopausal symptoms have been developed. Most notably,
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), has been used to reduce the weakening of bones (known as
Osteoporosis ). However, some women have resisted the implication that menopause is a disorder, seeing it as a natural stage of life. There has also been scientific controversy over whether the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. For many years, women were advised to take hormone therapy after menopause to reduce their risk of
Heart Disease and various aspects of aging. However, a large, randomized, controlled trial (the
Women's Health Initiative ) found that women undergoing HRT had an increased risk of
Alzheimer's Disease ,
Breast Cancer ,
Heart Disease and
Stroke .
- Andropause (a similar process in men)
[http://www.mymenopauseblog.com My Menopause Blog]]
More on menopausal symptoms ]
