Menopause simply means that it has been 1 year since your last period. When you google the word "menopause," other things that come up are women holding fans and those women are mostly quite elderly looking! This can be misleading, because there are different reasons that someone might go through menopause earlier than expected and this might happen long before that person ever expected to be going through the menopause.
Menopause literally means the "end of monthly cycles" (the end of monthly periods or menstruation), from the Greek word pausis ("pause") and mēn ("month"). The average age of menopause is 51 years old but this is an average and there will be a wide variation of ages for individuals. Early menopause is under 45 years of age and premature menopause is under 40. Research also suggests that people with periods are menstruating longer, on average, which means that menopause may be getting later for many.
Although most people with periods go into menopause naturally, there are other reasons a person might go into menopause. Menopause can occur because of surgery i.e. hysterectomy, which can be done for various medical reasons. If the ovaries are also removed, you will automatically go straight into menopause and this should be discussed pre surgery as well as options for HRT. Another type of menopause is chemical menopause. This is when menopause is drug-induced in a controlled way by a GP or a gynaecologist. This is usually done to prevent symptoms associated with conditions like endometriosis or PMDD. Chemical menopause is usually temporary and quickly reversible.
Menopause is a natural transition in life. Evidence shows the more we know and understand about this natural transition the better our experience of menopause is as we know what to expect.
Just like starting your period, menopause can be a time of life with mixed emotions. Some may feel a sense of relief and freedom, not having to worry about contraception or having periods. For others there may be a sense of loss or worry about the future.
The transition to menopause is also usually gradual, unless it has been induced chemically or surgically. In the years leading up to your periods stopping, you may experience changes in your cycle length and lighter or heavier bleeding. Alongside changes to your period, you may also experience other physical or mental health signs and symptoms that people commonly associate with menopause such as hot flashes, joint aches, headaches, urogenital symptoms, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. This is known as perimenopause. You may notice signs of progression toward menopause, such as menstrual irregularity, sometime in your 40s. But some notice changes as early as their mid-30s.
Menopause is individual and different for each person; some people may not experience any of the symptoms listed and others may have several of them.
Like periods, until recently menopause often was not discussed openly in society and often it was only discussed in a negative way. Thankfully in recent years there has been increased media coverage and discussion around the menopause, highlighting and providing resources and support.