The Menopause - What To Expect.

In the studies of womens development, the age of 40 is said to mark the beginning of “reproductive aging”. Normally, 40-year old women experience signs that are correlated to suddenly-lowered levels of progesterone and oestrogen (which are female hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle and keep the balance in the vaginal and uterine environments).

These changes culminate with the so-called menopause, which ends the menstrual cycle permanently. Technically, menopause refers to the absence of menstruation for over a year in a 40+ woman.

Perimenopausal symptoms can be observed by a woman in her body just before the actual menopause sets in.

Initially, her periods would start to go irregular, and her usual slumber at night would be interrupted by that feeling of discomfort brought about by hot flashes. Vaginal infections may also occur with the loss of oestrogen causing the G-spot to be drier. Sexual intercourse can also get painful. There were also cases of women who found it hard to control their pee prior to menopause.

The decline in female hormone levels also has an effect to the bones. In fact, many premenopausal women are advised to take a bone screening regimen to check if their bones have not gotten extremely weak and porous due to the hormonal imbalance.

The appearance of these symptoms usually takes place 2-4 years before the woman’s final menstruation.

After a year from her final menstrual flow, a woman might still complain about menopausal vaginal dryness. This may last long even after the last flow.