Menopause is not a disease. It is a natural part of a female being. It happens when the menstruation ends for good. When a woman gets older, her reproductive organs produce too little of female hormones progesterone and estrogen. These hormones ensure normal and regular periods in a woman’s organism. Usually women have last menstruation at the age of 51 or so. But nowadays it’s natural for women to have menopause when they are from 40 to 60. As a rule, a woman experiences menopause being as old as her mother was during this period. Women which went through operation on ovaries elimination will have the so called “surgical” climacteric period from the moment of the operation. If the ovaries are present, but the womb has been removed, the periods will cease, but the woman will not have any symptoms of surgical menopause.

In case your menstruation ends too early, earlier than 40 years, you can do special tests to find out if it is the start of your climacteric period or there is some other explanation for the lacking periods.

Menopause develops in small stages and may last a few years. During all this period you should practise safe sex not to get pregnant.

For some females menopause is just the end of periods. But a great amount of women have specific symptoms, sometimes very severe. These are:

  • the menstrual cycle is changing. It is the first and most general menopause symptom. Your menstruation may be more frequent and heavier, or vice versa – periods may disappear for a few months and become lighter than usual.
  • another significant sign of climacteric period is a hot flash. It is when a woman feels hot in her head and chest, and this heat comes like waves. A woman can sweat heavily and get covered with red spots. She can feel queasy and have her heart beating hard and fast.
  • in the period of menopause or after it, the vagina becomes more sensitive and generates less lubrication during sexual contacts. This may cause the pain and discomfort. Today there are plenty of water-based lubricants that can remove unpleasant feelings.
  • a lot of women put on weight during climacteric period. Keeping to a diet and physical exercises can help to be in a good shape.
  • among the other menopause symptoms doctors distinguish headaches, tiredness, uric tract and bladder infections, sometimes even insomnia.

Menopause leaves an impact on the emotional sphere of a huge number of women as well. Females may feel sad, anxious, their mood changes all the time. Consult your doctor to remove emotional troubles if you have some.