September 1, 2010
Early Menopause Forums
I Have A Question About Menopause?
This question is for women who are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's, and who have gone through or are now going through menopause.
I'm a little bit shy about asking this question on a public forum, but I need to know something.
I've heard the horror stories about menopause and what it's like to have to go through it. I am 43 and will be turning a year older next month. From the age of 36 to the age of 40, I had been experiencing irregularity with my monthly cycles (I figured it was probably early menopause), but for the last couple of years, the regularity of my cycles has returned.
I have heard it said that however menopause was for the mother, that is how it will be for the daughter. In other words, if menopause was difficult on the mother, it will also be difficult on the daughter. And if menopause was easy on the mother, it will also be easy on the daughter. Which is true?
Your advice and encouragement would be greatly appreicated. Thank you
Oh, don't be embarassed!! It's a very normal thing to be concerned about.
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 hormones, vasomotor symptoms such as Hot Flashes and palpitations, psychological symptoms such as increased depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings 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 periods.
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.
The average onset of menopause is 50.5 years, but some women enter menopause at a younger age. 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.
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.
It should be bearable, if not, see your doctor. I've found studies that show a relationship between your mother's menopause and yours. I was told that the age your mother started her menses determined the age you got yours, but that frequently isn't true.
All the best
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