WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?
Menopause is a life stage, not a disease. The Miriam Webster dictionary definition for Menopause is “The natural cessation of menstruation that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55”. It is the time in a woman’s life when menstrual periods permanently stop; also known as the “The change of life”. It marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. So basically, we are no longer able to have children.
Medically, menopause is caused by reduction in our bodies’ ability to make estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone are hormones. Hormones carry information and instructions from one group of cells to another. They influence almost every single cell and organ function. Hormones regulate our growth, development, metabolism, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, the way our bodies use food, the reaction of our bodies to emergencies and even our moods. Its no wonder why our bodies and mind are so out of whack while were in menopause! Throughout the course of your menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone are in near perfect balance. When these hormones are out of balance, (as in menopause) hormone related illnesses emerge. Why are estrogen and progesterone important?
Estrogen nourishes the tissues of the body with blood and keeps them youthful and elastic, including the tissue of your skin and vagina. Estrogen consists of Estriol, Estradiol, and Estrone. Estrone is the only type of estrogen found in women after menopause. During the reproductive years, estrogen is mostly produced in your ovaries. After menopause, when ovulation no longer occurs, your fatty tissue, breast tissue, liver and adrenals take over the role, producing lower levels of estrogen. My doctor used to tell me that thin woman suffer a lot more from vasomotor symptoms.(hot flashes and night sweats) than women with a little more weight on them due to more circulating estrogen.
Progesterone, on the other hand, plays a vital role in health of the reproductive system. It plays an opposing role to estrogen, helping and keeping tissue growth in check. . Progesterone can help with calmness, sleep, blood sugar levels and mood. It is a natural diuretic, and contributes to the formation of new bone tissue. It also protects against breast, uterus and ovarian cancer. After menopause, progesterone can go down to almost zero. Estrogen dominance is when your estrogen decreases by 40-60% and your progesterone is almost zero. This imbalance can wreak havoc on the body causing annoying symptoms. There are many symptoms of menopause. Please see the next section on symptoms of menopause.
All women go through menopause. It just depends on genetics and lifestyle how we will be affected.
There are basically 4 stages of menopause:
- Pre-menopause – there are no symptoms and you still have periods.
- Peri-menopause – is called the transitional time. Estrogen begins to drop. This can last upwards to 8 – 10 years; however, the average time is 4 years. It can start in your 30’s but more likely to begin in your 40’s. Eggs in women’s ovaries diminish and ovulation becomes irregular, at the same time the production of estrogen and progesterone decreases. It is the drop in estrogen that causes most of the symptoms associated with menopause.
- Menopause – is the time when we begin to notice more symptoms and our periods end.
- Post menopause – marks the end of menopause. Period has stopped for at least 12 months. Symptoms can still continue.
*There is also sudden menopause or premature menopause – This is when women have their ovaries surgically removed.
Women enter menopause at an average age of 51. However, I’ve heard of people entering menopause as early as their late 30’s and as late as 59. Anything above age 35 is not premature. Some things that might influence starting earlier can be smoking, eating disorders, stress, excessive exercise, breast cancer, autoimmune diseases or anything that causes your ovaries to produce less estrogen and progesterone.