What Is Menopause?

Menopause is technically one day of a woman's life. Women may experience symptoms leading up to menopause, but the day she hits one full year without a menstrual period is the day she reaches menopause. After that, she is in post-menopause. However, "menopause," as it is commonly referred to, is the natural process a woman's body undergoes as her ovaries gradually produce less estrogen and eventually stop releasing eggs.

The menopause transition is composed of three different stages:

Stage 1 Perimenopause

ESTROGEN PRODUCTION FLUCTUATES

The first stage of menopause is called perimenopause and for many women it lasts four to eight years. Symptoms may show earlier, but most women begin seeing signs of perimenopause in their 40s.

During perimenopause, estrogen production fluctuates and the first symptoms of menopause can appear. With the change of hormone levels in this menopausal transition, your menopause symptoms could include:

Hot flashes
Irregular periods
Sleep issues
Night sweats
Mood swings
Vaginal irritation

Stage 2 Menopause

12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS WITHOUT A PERIOD

Once your body has gone a full 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle, you've reached menopause. During this time of hormonal change, a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs and estrogen levels remain low, leading to a wide range of menopausal symptoms that could include:

Aches & pains
Weight gain
Mood swings

Stage 3 Postmenopause

ESTROGEN PRODUCTION LEVELS OUT

During the years after natural menopause, the average menopausal woman will see a reduction in her symptoms or severity of symptoms. Signs of post-menopausal health risks can be tough to spot, but because the body's estrogen levels remain low, there are several new health conditions women in post-menopause need to be aware of.