Menopause(meno=menstruation, pause=stops) marks the time in a woman’s life when her periods or menstruation stops for ever and she is no longer capable to conceive or able to become pregnant.

Menopause is not a disease or a condition. It is a normal stage of the women’s life, just as puberty. The average age of menopause onset is 51, plus or minus several years either way. Hysterectomy, chemotherapy or other medical reasons can lead to early menopause. Genetics can be a factor for menopause onset. Exercise, diet, smoking and stressful situations in life are few parameters in the life of women that effect menopause. Menopause is confirmed when a women has not had a menstrual period for one year.

Signs and symptoms of menopause appear well before the one-year anniversary of the final period. Some of them are:

• Irregular Periods: Some women may experience a period every two to three weeks, while others may not have periods for months at a time.
• Vaginal dryness which may be accompanied by itching and/or discomfort
• Hot flashes or a sudden feeling of heat in the upper body
• Red and patchy skin on face, neck or chest
• Increased heart rate or tachycardia
• Night sweats
• Disturbed sleeps
• Frequent urination
• Rapid mood swings
• Fat building up in the abdomen
• Poor memory and problems in focusing and learning
• Hair loss or thinning hair
• Shedding of pubic hair
• Decrease in the breast size
• Loss of libido
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Incontinence
• Bloating
• Increase in allergies
• Brittle finger nails
• Depression
• Change in body odour
• Irritability
• Malaise
• Breast pain
• Aching
• Burning sensation in tongue
• Sore joints
• Headaches
• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Gas pain
• Flatulence
• Increased gum bleeding
• Itchy skin
• Increased muscle tension
• Osteoporosis
• Tingling extremities
• Electric shocks in the head and skin

Facts and Statistics about Menopause Symptoms:

• Average age of experiencing the symptoms of menopause is 47.5 years.
• 75-85 percent women experience hot flushes.
• Night sweat is experienced by 75 percent women.
• 90 percent women have irregular periods during this phase.
• 20-40 percent women have drop in their interests in love making.
• 40-60 percent women between 45-55 years develop vaginal dryness.
• Mood-swings are common among 50 percent of menopause women.
• 80 percent women experience fatigue and 90 percent gain weight during their menopause.
• 33 percent women have osteoporosis complaints during this phase of their lives.
• Burning tongue is common among men too. But a woman during menopause has this sensation seven times more than men.
• Depression is four times more likely to affect a woman during this stage due to hormonal changes.
• According to latest research studies, menopause women are three times more likely to develop alzheimer’s disease.
• Heart disease is associated with menopause closely and 50 percent of the menopause women are unaware of this fact.
• 50 percent of women develop fracture because of osteoporasis condition experienced by them during menopause.
• The World Health Organization estimates that by 2025, there will be 1.1 billion women above the age 50 experiencing menopause.