Menopause

Menopause (also known as"Changelife" or climacteric) isstage ofreproductive lifecycle that every woman goes through at some pointher life, usually infifth or sixth decade, whereovaries stop producing estrogen. (A similar mechanismmenknown as andropause.) This causesreproductive systemgradually shut downalters hormone levels drastically. Asbody adapts tochanging levelsnatural hormones, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood-swings, vaginal dryness, increased depressionanxiety,increasingly scantyerratic menstrual periodscommon.

Menopause takes place gradually overnumberyears.

The average onsetmenopause50.5 years, but some women enter menopause atyounger age, especially ifhave suffered from cancer or another serious illnessundergone chemotherapy. Premature menopause (or Premature Ovarian Failure)defined as menopause occurring beforeage40,occurs1%women. Other causespremature menopause include autoimmune disorders like thyroid disease or diabetes mellitus. Premature menopausediagnosed by measuringlevelsfollicle stimulating hormone (FSH)luteinizing hormone (LH);levelsthese hormones will be higher if menopause has occurred.

Some women see menopause as beingnormal stagetheir life-cycleone which will eventually pass by itself without medical intervention. Some doctors would disagreethat view,medical 'treatments'menopausal symptoms have been developed, eg. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Post-menopausal womenat increased riskosteoporosis, mostly among European women.

Quotes

• "Nobody ever diedmenopause." Barbara Seaman, July 22, 2003, speaking on Book TV

Further reading

• Sandra ConeyBarbara Seaman, Menopause Industry: HowMedical Establishment Exploits Women, Hunter House, 1994, trade paperback, 384 pages, ISBN 0897931602