What are the 1st signs of menopause?

Symptoms Irregular periods. Vaginal dryness. Hot flashes. Chills. Night sweats. Sleep problems. Mood changes. Weight gain and slowed metabolism. More items...

mayoclinic.org - Menopause - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

What drink will hydrate you the fastest?

Water. While it likely comes as no surprise, drinking water is most often the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated and rehydrate. Unlike many...

Last updated Jun 22, 2018

What medications should not be taken with Adderall?

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, metaxalone, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide,...

Last updated May 5, 2018

Promotion

Overview

Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It's diagnosed after you've gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States. Menopause is a natural biological process. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy or affect emotional health. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy.

Symptoms

In the months or years leading up to menopause (perimenopause), you might experience these signs and symptoms:

Irregular periods

Vaginal dryness

Hot flashes

Chills

Night sweats

Sleep problems

Mood changes

Weight gain and slowed metabolism

Thinning hair and dry skin

Loss of breast fullness

Signs and symptoms, including changes in menstruation can vary among women. Most likely, you'll experience some irregularity in your periods before they end. Skipping periods during perimenopause is common and expected. Often, menstrual periods will skip a month and return, or skip several months and then start monthly cycles again for a few months. Periods also tend to happen on shorter cycles, so they are closer together. Despite irregular periods, pregnancy is possible. If you've skipped a period but aren't sure you've started the menopausal transition, consider a pregnancy test.

When to see a doctor

Keep up with regular visits with your doctor for preventive health care and any medical concerns. Continue getting these appointments during and after menopause. Preventive health care as you age may include recommended health screening tests, such as colonoscopy, mammography and triglyceride screening. Your doctor might recommend other tests and exams, too, including thyroid testing if suggested by your history, and breast and pelvic exams. Always seek medical advice if you have bleeding from your vagina after menopause. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

Is it better to do one long walk or two shorter walks?

Are multiple short walks as good as 1 long walk? In short – yes! Shorter walks are just as good as longer walks for fitness. In fact, it may even...

Last updated Jul 10, 2019

How did Kelly Osbourne lose weight?

Key Takeaways. Kelly Osbourne is an inspiration for many people who want to lose weight. She has lost 85 pounds after her gastric sleeve surgery by...

Last updated Apr 21, 2022

Promotion

Menopause can result from:

Naturally declining reproductive hormones. As you approach your late 30s, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone — the hormones that regulate menstruation — and your fertility declines. In your 40s, your menstrual periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent, until eventually — on average, by age 51 — your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and you have no more periods. Surgery that removes the ovaries (oophorectomy). Your ovaries produce hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, that regulate the menstrual cycle. Surgery to remove your ovaries causes immediate menopause. Your periods stop, and you're likely to have hot flashes and experience other menopausal signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms can be severe, as hormonal changes occur abruptly rather than gradually over several years. Surgery that removes your uterus but not your ovaries (hysterectomy) usually doesn't cause immediate menopause. Although you no longer have periods, your ovaries still release eggs and produce estrogen and progesterone. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These cancer therapies can induce menopause, causing symptoms such as hot flashes during or shortly after the course of treatment. The halt to menstruation (and fertility) is not always permanent following chemotherapy, so birth control measures may still be desired. Radiation therapy only affects ovarian function if radiation is directed at the ovaries. Radiation therapy to other parts of the body, such as breast tissue or the head and neck, won't affect menopause. These cancer therapies can induce menopause, causing symptoms such as hot flashes during or shortly after the course of treatment. The halt to menstruation (and fertility) is not always permanent following chemotherapy, so birth control measures may still be desired. Radiation therapy only affects ovarian function if radiation is directed at the ovaries. Radiation therapy to other parts of the body, such as breast tissue or the head and neck, won't affect menopause. Primary ovarian insufficiency. About 1% of women experience menopause before age 40 (premature menopause). Premature menopause may result from the failure of your ovaries to produce normal levels of reproductive hormones (primary ovarian insufficiency), which can stem from genetic factors or autoimmune disease. But often no cause of premature menopause can be found. For these women, hormone therapy is typically recommended at least until the natural age of menopause in order to protect the brain, heart and bones.

Complications

Can phentermine hurt you?

This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this...

Last updated Nov 2, 2021

What snack is good for weight loss?

Here are 29 healthy, weight-loss-friendly snacks to add to your diet. Mixed nuts. ... Red bell pepper with guacamole. ... Greek yogurt and mixed...

Last updated Apr 25, 2018

Promotion

After menopause, your risk of certain medical conditions increases. Examples include:

mayoclinic.org - Menopause - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

What's the fastest way to lose weight in your face?

If you have a rounder face due to being overweight, the easiest way to slim down your face is to lose fat from your entire body. You can do this by...

Last updated Oct 12, 2018

Is womens size 8 a plus-size?

In the fashion industry, "plus size" is a term for models who are size 8 and up. But in the real world, most people would never think of a size 8...

Last updated Jan 6, 2019

Learn More »

Promotion

What is the unhealthiest drink in the world?

The 10 worst drinks for your body Soda. It should come as no surprise that soda is one of the worst beverages you can choose for your body, whether...

Last updated Jun 26, 2022

Promotion

Why is my body holding on to weight?

If you're consuming too few calories your body essentially goes into starvation mode and receives the message that it needs to protect itself. This...

Last updated Sep 26, 2018