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 is no handbook in the market by which you will know that you are approaching 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 you must be wondering that there should be some signs of menopause which all women can follow.

Let me tell you at the very beginning that the average age of menopause ranges between 42 and 56. The initial experience of different women can be different but the end results are always same: there are no periods, you lose your fertility and you gradually move into post childbearing phase of your life. 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 remember that during menopause the body undergoes several changes. The body’s calcium level gets depleted due to fluctuating hormones and the end result is disease of the bones or osteoporosis. The body loses its immunity somehow and is easy prey to heart diseases, diabetes and other related illnesses.

The 3 Stages of Menopause

Stage 1 – Perimenopause

Menopause occurs in three stages. The first stage is known as perimenopause. The inevitable signs at this stage are irregular periods and spotting caused by vacillating hormone levels in the body. There is a general misconception that once you enter this it is impossible to conceive. 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 major symptoms associated with perimenopause are hot flashes, night sweats and irritation.

Stage 2 – Absent Periods and other Menopause Symptoms

In the second stage the periods are totally absent. This stage is simply known as menopause and age of the woman is usually around 51 years. But the periods must be absent for a period of 12 consecutive months. The general signs of menopause are hot flashes, headaches and mood swings.

Stage 3 – Postmenopause

The final stage is said to be postmenopause. Hot flashes and night seats will be reduced to naught during this stage. But on the flip side, there is greater risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and UTI or urinary tract infection.

In general women are apprehensive and scared about menopause so much that they sometimes overlook the signs of menopause. It is understandable that women find it difficult to cope with the fact that they will no longer menstruate and bearing children will be impossible. On the other hand some women gracefully accept the changes associated with menopause and live their remaining lives in a happy mood. They believe that they are tension free as there is no more worry of being pregnant ant they don’t have to fret about periods and hormones either. Through proper learning and a little bit of courage menopause can be one of the defining moments of a women’s life.

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