(also referred to as...)
Artificial Menopause, Natural Menopause, Perimenopause, Premature Menopause
(major issues covered...)
Atrophic Vaginitis, Fuzzy Thinking, Hot Flashes, Lack of Concentration, Loss of Libido
Low DHEA Levels, Mood Swings and Depression, Osteoporosis, Thinning Hair
Vaginal Dryness, Irritation, and Thinning, Vasomotor Flushes
Introduction
Menopause is derived from the Greek word "meno", for month/menses and "pausis", for pause and refers to the cessation of menses. It is a natural process in a woman's life and is also referred to as the "change of life", or "the change". This period of change is called the climacteric and involves menopause and a general change in ovarian function over the course of six to thirteen years.
Women typically experience menopause between forty-five and fifty-five years of age, with the average being fifty-two. It is also possible for women to experience menopause as early as thirty-nine. In general, a woman's menopause occurs over the same period as that of their mother, though this tendency is not absolute.
A number of theories hold that menopause occurs when there are no longer any eggs left in the ovaries and reflects a natural course of events. A woman is born with approximately one million eggs (ova) which drops to 300,000 to 400,000 by puberty. During the reproductive years, only four hundred ova will actually mature and by the time a woman reaches fifty years of age, very few eggs remain.
