Menopause (also known as the "Change of life" or climacteric) is a
stage of the reproductive lifecycle that every woman goes through at
some point in her life, usually in the fifth or sixth decade, where
the ovaries stop producing estrogen. (A similar mechanism in men is
known as andropause.) This causes the reproductive system to gradually
shut down and alters hormone levels drastically. As the body adapts to
the changing levels of natural hormones, symptoms such as hot flushes,
mood swings, vaginal dryness, increased depression and anxiety, and
increasingly scanty and erratic menstrual periods are common.
Technically, menopause is the ceasing of menses, while the process in
which this occurs is the climacteric and takes place gradually over a
year, but may take as little as six months or more than five years.
Popular use however replaces climacteric with menopause.
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 1% of women.
Other causes of premature menopause include autoimmune disorders like
thyroid disease or 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.
Some women see menopause as being a normal stage of their life-cycle
and one which will eventually pass by itself without medical
intervention. Some doctors would disagree with that view, and medical
'treatments' for menopausal symptoms have been developed, eg. Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT). This is seen as sexist and mostly harmful
Post-menopausal women are at increased risk of osteoporosis, mostly
among European women.
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