The Facts
When?
Logic would dictate that the women who entered puberty first would begin menopause first, however, there is no correlation between the age of menarche (the onset of the first period) and menopause. The average age of American women at the time of menopause is 51 years, but the normal range is anywhere from the mid-forties to the late fifties. The theory that does often prove true is that you will enter menopause at about the same age as your mother
If you smoke cigarettes, you may experience menopause one or two years earlier than average.Thinner, smaller-boned women go through menopause earlier than heavy or big-boned women.
Women who have never had children go through menopause earlier than women who have borne several. Research indicates that each child you bear will delay the onset of menopause by about five months.
White women go through menopause earlier than black women.
A hysterectomy or tubal ligation can bring on menopause several years earlier than would normally be expected.
If you had your first child after 40, menopause will be later than average.
Medically-induced menopause, brought on by the removal of both ovaries or medical procedures that interfer with ovarian function, can occur at any age.
What?
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- irregular periods
- sleeplessness/insomnia/fatigue
- forgetfulness/poor concentration
- vaginal changes
- bladder changes
- skin tone
- sexual relationships
How long?
Every woman is different. Some women experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Others struggle with hot flashes and other symptoms that last for years. On average, you can expect some of the more bothersome symptoms, like hot flashes, to last from three to five years.
Menopause is officially over when you haven't had a period for 12 consecutive months. In the absence of symptoms, another way to help predict where you are in the transition through menopause is to have a blood test that measures the level of FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone). High blood levels of this hormone are a sign that you are approaching or have gone through menopause.
Health risks?
Coping and Managing
Knowledge is power. Get the facts. Learn all you can. The key is to this stage of your life - 40% of your life span - is in making healthy decisions regarding lifestyle and treatment options. There are remedies for dealing with just about every symptom on the list and daily opportunities to take control and to manage the change that is inevitable.
RETURN TO THE CHANGE MAIN PAGE
© 1998 Prairie Public Broadcasting, Inc.