At What Age Does Menopause Start:
Smoking affects estrogen and can contribute to early menopause. Knowing when your parent started menopause can provide clues this page about when you’ll start your own. If your parent started menopause early, you’re more likely than average to do the same.
As a result, your symptoms will likely become more intense. Once you have not had a period for an entire year, you can assume that you are no longer ovulating, and therefore no longer be able to become pregnant. The symptoms of menopause are the same as perimenopause, except that you no longer have a period. By age 40, less than 10% of people with female reproductive organs will achieve pregnancy per menstrual cycle.
The body begins to use energy differently, fat cells change, and women may gain weight more easily. You may experience changes in your bone or heart health, your body shape and composition, this content or your physical function. Your cycles will become irregular, but they haven’t stopped. Even though you might notice symptoms like hot flashes, you can still get pregnant.
About 75 percent of women experience hot flashes during menopause, making them the most common symptom experienced by menopausal women. Some women may also experience muscle and joint pain, known as arthralgia, or mood swings. The way you experience each stage of menopause will be unique. For example, maybe you don’t get hot flashes, but insomnia leaves you feeling tired and irritable. Around age 55, most women have entered their post-menopausal years.
Someone with epilepsy is more likely to experience primary ovarian insufficiency, which leads to menopause. Changing hormone levels due to menopause can affect seizures in people with epilepsy. Instead, periods and secondary the advantage sex characteristics must be brought about by hormone replacement therapy, usually during adolescence. Women hit the peak of their careers at the same time hot flashes, brain fog, and other menopause symptoms strike.
Perimenopause symptoms may start up to 10 years before entering menopause. Upon entering the postmenopausal stage, symptoms may continue for four to five years, but typically decrease in frequency and intensity. Department of Health and Human Services, notes that menopause is when your monthly period stops permanently. Sometimes it is referred to as ‘the change of life’ or ‘going through the change.’ It does not happen suddenly, but is rather a time of transition. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about menopause.
A 2018 review of studies showed that smoking can greatly increase the chance of early menopause onset. And symptoms can vary a lot, even among family members who start menopause at similar ages. You may find over-the-counter lubricants, estrogen creams, or other products help with vaginal dryness. If your uterus was surgically removed through a hysterectomy, you may not know you’re going through menopause unless you experience hot flashes. Changes in your hormone levels may cause you to gain weight.
Researchers believe that prolonged exposure to estrogen protects the heart and bones. During the last year or two of perimenopause, you may skip periods. The periods you do get could be heavier or lighter than usual. Here’s a look at menopause through the ages, and what types of symptoms to possibly expect as you reach each milestone. ‘Yes, the age your mother started menopause is a strong predictor for when you will enter menopause,’ says Dr. Girzhel.
You may find that getting through menopause requires little medical attention. Or you may decide you need to discuss symptoms and treatment options with a doctor. People who enter menopause late (after age 55) are at greater risk of breast cancer than those who enter the transition earlier. This is because their breast tissue is exposed to estrogen for a longer time.
Discuss your symptoms, family and medical history, and preferences with your doctor. No matter what you decide, see your doctor every year to talk about your treatment plan and discuss any changes you want to make. In addition, for some women, symptoms may include aches and pains, headaches, and heart palpitations. Because menopausal symptoms may be caused by changing hormone levels, it is unpredictable how often women will experience symptoms and how severe they will be. Postmenopausal women are more vulnerable to heart disease and osteoporosis.