The word menopause is misused in several ways. It is usually used in place of the term natural menopause, and it is commonly used to describe the menopause stage, perimenopause.
Menopause is a natural process of ageing experienced by women. It's a term used to describe the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods. This time of change signifies the end of a woman's fertile or reproductive years.
The time of change from premenopause to menopause is called perimenopause. Perimenopause generally occurs between the ages of 45-60 years old and usually spans a 2-6 year period. During this time, the ovaries gradually or suddenly stop producing estrogen and progesterone, which can lead some women to experience menopause symptoms.
After menopause (postmenopause), estrone (a less active form of estrogen) is produced from the conversion of certain sex hormones in the kidneys, liver and fat cells. For this reason, very thin women may experience more severe menopausal symptoms.
All rights reserved.
