Menopause does not make a grand entry into a woman’s life. There is a series of physical, mental and emotional changes before the onset of menopause. There are no guidebooks to help you recognize the on start of menopause.The changes that take place in the life of a woman are unique in nature and no two women display the same conditions or changes before perimenopause sets in. But the general signs of menopause would be the following.
Let me tell you at the very beginning that the average age of menopause ranges between 42 and 56. The women tend to lose their fertility; will stop menstruating and these changes are indeed unique as she moves post childbearing phase.But please remember that entering menopausal stages does not imply that you are growing old. In fact you can live your life to the fullest without any worries.
But the body undergoes so many changes during these stages. The fluctuating of calcium levels in the body will result in the onset of osteoporosis due to hormonal changes.The body loses its immunity somehow and is easy prey to heart diseases, diabetes and other related illnesses.
Menopause’s 3 stages
There are three stages to menopause. Perimenopause is the first stage. There are irregular periods and spotting during this stage because of fluctuating hormone secretion. The common belief is that during this stage conceiving is difficult.Conceiving is difficult during this stage is the common belief. In reality eggs do get released from the ovaries but the ovulation might be infrequent.On average a woman lives in this stage for 5 years but there are reports that sometimes women experience this stage for 15 years too. The signs of this stage are hot flashes, night sweats and irritation.
In this second stage there is no menstruation. the second stage is known as menopause and generally occurs around 51 years. It is recognized as this stage only if there is no menstruation for all twelve months consecutively. The signs of menopause are headaches, hot flashes and mood swings.
The third stage is called as postmenopause. There will not be any hot flashes or night sweats during this stage. But other diseases will raise their heads – osetoporosis, heart diseases and UTI.
In general women are apprehensive and scared about menopause so much that they sometimes overlook the signs of menopause.
Want to find out more about the symptoms of menopause, then visit Josephine Smith’s site on how to identify menopause symptoms for your needs.