What is the menopause?

Menopause is defined as the absence of rules for 12 months. The menopausal transition begins with a menstrual cycle or longer and ends with the latest rules.

Menopause is the stage in a woman's life when the ovaries stop functioning. The ovary, or female gonad, is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. It is located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs and female hormones such as estrogen. During each monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is released from an ovary, the egg from the ovary to the uterus through a fallopian tube.

The ovaries are the main source of female hormones that control the development of female body characteristics such as breasts, body shape and hair. The hormones also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

The process of menopause does not happen overnight. It is rather a gradual process.

The average age of onset of menopause is 51 years, but menopause can begin as early as the thirties and as late as the sixties. There is no reliable test that can predict its occurrence. However, menopause is accompanied by several symptoms.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

The transition period called "pre-menopausal" is a different experience for each woman. Some women may experience a few symptoms of menopause, others experience symptoms multiple physical and psychological, while others do not have any. The extent and severity of symptoms vary greatly among women.

Among the most common symptoms are:

* Irregular vaginal bleeding, some women notice abnormal bleeding during the pre-menopause, the bleeding can be normal or excessive. There was no bleeding "standard" in the period before menopause. The symptoms vary from woman to another. Women in pre-menopause usually spend several months without rules. This transition of menopause is also no time limit.
* Hot flashes and night sweats: Hot flashes are common among postmenopausal women. A hot flash is a feeling of heat that is distributed in the body and brand is concentrated in the head and chest. A hot flash is sometimes associated with redness. Hot flashes usually last from 30 seconds to several minutes. Although the exact cause of hot flashes is not fully capture, hot flashes are likely due to a combination of biochemical and hormonal fluctuations caused by lower estrogen levels.
These hot flashes are sometimes accompanied by night sweats. Postmenopausal women are thus awakened and have difficulty going back, resulting in unpleasant sleep and tiredness during the next day.
* Urinary symptoms: The lining of the urethra (the tube that runs from the bladder and discharges urine) also undergoes changes similar to those of the vaginal tissues, and becomes drier, more and less elastic with the lower levels 'estrogen. This can lead to increased risk of urinary tract infection characterized by a more frequent need to urinate or leak urine. (Urinary incontinence)
* Other: irritability, memory problems, excessive sensitivity, constant fatigue, rapid changes in mood, etc.