Perimenopause & Menopause
Women reaching their 40's and 50's today can look forward to a vigorous, active and healthy life into their older years - particularly if they take responsibility for the preventative healthcare that can help keep them in good physical and mental condition. This is especially important since most of today's women will live 25-30 years - one third of their lives - after menopause.
Menopause is the end of a woman's monthly menstrual period; a time of natural transition. Menopause, for most wome, occurs between the ages of 50 and 52, although it is perfectly normal to stop menstruating anytime between the ages of 45 and 55. By the time a woman reaches her late 30's or early 40's, only a fraction of the original number of eggs in her ovaries remains. Less and less of the female hormone estrogen is produced from those eggs to "tell" the body to menstruate. This entire "climacteric" period consists of three phases: perimenopause (the transition between fertility and the last menstrual period); menopause (when the periods have actually ceased for a year); and postmenopause (the years after the end of menstruation).
Symptoms
Early Symptoms |
Intermediate Symptoms |
Late Sypmtoms |
| Hot Flashes | Vaginal Dryness |
Osteoporosis |
| Night Sweats | Painful Intercourse |
Cardiovascular Disease |
| Inability to Sleep | Urinary Symptoms | |
| Irregular Periods | Wrinkled Skin | |
| Anxiety and Emotional | ||
| Instability |
Good Health Practices at Menopause
Stop smoking.
Have a yearly exam.
Eat a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meat consumption.
Start or maintain a program of regular exercise.
Take calcium 1,000 to 1,500 mg/day and Vitamin D400 IU/day.
Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1-2 drinks per day.
Discuss hormonal replacement therapy with your healthcare provider.
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