What is Menopause?
Menopause is a natural part of every woman’s life cycle. Symptoms can be a gradual effect over two to six years before your last menstrual period. As all women are different, not all women suffer from signs of menopause, in fact 20% have no symptoms, 60% have mild symptoms while only 20% suffer from severe symptoms.
Lets look at some physical & emotional Symptoms that women can experience;
- Hot Flushes & night sweats
- Aches & pains
- Headaches
- Vaginal dryness
- Urinary frequency
- Tiredness
- Irritability and/or Depression
- Sleeping difficulty
- Low self-esteem
Tip: Feel free to take the “Menopause Quiz” at: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
The average age for women to reach menopause is between 51-52 years, however most women experience menopause between the ages of 48-55. ‘Premature’ menopause is when a woman reaches this stage in her life before the age of 40.
Early menopause may occur spontaneously as a result of early failure of the ovaries. Symptoms for early/premature menopause are basically the same as for natural menopause.
*Please note: Due to the long-term effects of oestrogen deficiency, the risk of developing osteoporosis or heart disease for women experiencing premature menopause are considerably higher than women experiencing natural menopause. For this reason, it is important to seek medical advice.