Stages of Menopause
Menopause signals the end of fertility in women forever. As the hormone production diminishes with the age, women experience certain changes in their bodies. This stage is called menopause. Menopause period begins when a woman does not have any menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause and Post menopause are two stages that occur before and after the actual menopause experienced by a woman.
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional period for a woman before the actual menopause stage. In this period, the menstrual reproductivity starts to decline up to the final menopause stage. Perimenopause stage begins between the age of 30 and 40.
Most women do not recognize the changes for a long time. Women gradually start to sense the changes after almost ten years of the onset of perimenopause. The duration of perimenopause is not predictable for any woman during the transitional period.
During this transition period, women face irregular menstrual periods and severe fluctuations of hormone production. So the effects of menopause on the women's health can be found at this time. Lack of sleep at night, night sweats, fatigue, mood swings, depression and sudden changes in sexual desires are the symptoms that mark the beginning of menopause.
Women at the perimenopause stage can be given proper treatment to improve the production of hormones. A recent research has proven that supplementation of essential nutrients restores the fertility of woman's body. So, it is not necessary that a woman experiencing perimenopause will directly enter the menopause stage. The symptoms of the perimenopause stage differ according to the different body types. The perimenopause transitional stage can last for a few months to some years.
What is Postmenopause?
The period after a woman's last menstrual cycle is called the post menopause period. During this period, a woman can no longer conceive. This stage occurs after the torturous, transitional stage of perimenopause comes to the end. When woman transfers from perimenopause to postmenopause stage, there are good chances to improve potentiality.
The post menopause stage causes infertility of ovaries, severe pains during intercourse and dryness in vagina. Night sweats and hot flashes that triggered during the perimenopause period are more severe and long lasting.
However, the chances of pregnancy cannot be totally ruled out, though the risk is now low. Women experience an increase in energy levels as soon as the perimenopausal period ends.
Some major changes also occur in women's body. First, the rise in Follicle Stimulating Hormone level signals the useless efforts to produce the eggs from the ovaries. Second, the production of estrogen occurs in the fat cells instead of the ovaries. A minimal amount of estrogen can be produced from the adrenals. Thus, ovaries still play a vital role in postmenopause stage for hormone production.
Any irregular flow in the periods should be checked with the doctor, as it may be a symptom of the beginning of the infertility period. Proper treatment and counseling can help to ease off the menopausal effects on a woman's body.
