Menopause is the last natural menstrual period and therefore the end of the fertile phase in a woman’s life. It usually occurs between the ages of mid-40s and mid-50s. A period of hormonal change with symptoms of varying severity, called menopause or climacteric, precedes menopause.
What is menopause?
Menopause is the last natural menstrual period and therefore the end of the fertile phase in a woman’s life. It usually occurs between the ages of mid-40s and mid-50s. The word menopause comes from the Greek and means “end of the monthly cycle”. It refers to the last ovulation and the associated menstrual bleeding. It marks the end of a woman’s reproductive ability. Since some cycle irregularities may occur in advance in connection with menopause, it is only when menstruation has not occurred for at least twelve months that it is referred to as menopause.
Meaning and function
Menopause is the end point of a far-reaching hormonal change in a woman’s body. In this context, the absence of periods after menopause is only an external sign by which one can recognize the end of the fertile phase. However, the absence of ovulation, which is essential for the development of pregnancy, is decisive. As long as a woman is of reproductive age, eggs mature in her ovaries in regular cycles, provided there are no diseases and no pregnancy. This occurs under the influence of hormones produced in the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. The ovaries themselves and the follicles in which the eggs reach fertilization maturity also produce various hormones. These hormones interact with each other and control the course of the female cycle. Before menopause finally occurs, the production of these hormones gradually comes to a halt. The ovaries in particular cease to function completely by the time the average woman reaches her early 50s. This is accompanied by various symptoms known as menopausal symptoms. The cycle itself usually becomes very irregular quite some time before the actual menopause. Menstrual bleeding also becomes weaker and weaker as the lack of appropriate hormones affects the formation of the uterine lining. For this reason, one normally only speaks of menopause when the last bleeding occurred more than a year ago. While most women experience menopause in their early 50s, it can occur much earlier in very slim to underweight women and smokers. In addition, there is a genetic component, such that daughters experience menopause at approximately the same age as their mothers.
Diseases, ailments and disorders
The onset of menopause is not a disease, but part of a woman’s natural aging process and, as such, does not require treatment. Only the symptoms of the preceding can be alleviated, if necessary, by appropriate menopause therapies. Premature menopause is when the last menstrual period occurs before the respective woman reaches the age of forty. This can be caused by various autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders and diabetes mellitus. Genetic factors may also play a role. Chemotherapy and radiation associated with cancer treatment can also cause premature menopause. Usually, premature menopause is irreversible just like natural menopause. However, it is very rare. Only about 1 percent of all women experience menopause before their fortieth birthday, and less than 0.1 percent before they turn 30. Induced menopause is the artificial cessation of reproductive function. This can be done by administering antiestrogens. In most cases, however, induced menopause is the result of surgical removal of the ovaries, which may be necessary in severe cases of ovarian cysts and ovarian tumors. If the uterus is removed but the ovaries, which are still functional, remain in the body, menopause does not occur, even if menstruation no longer occurs. Also, cutting the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy from occurring has no effect on the complex hormonal system of the female body.In this case, natural menopause usually occurs in the middle age of the woman.
