Menopause

Menopause is the point at which a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases, indicating the end of fertility. It is important to remember that menopause is not a disease. Menopause is as natural a progression in life as puberty. Many years before a woman stops ovulating, her ovaries slow their production of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen and progesterone are commonly thought of as sex or reproductive hormones. While estrogen is indeed essential for reproduction, it also acts on many nonreproductive organs and systems in the body. Cells in the vagina, bladder, breasts, skin, bones, arteries, heart, liver, and brain all contain estrogen receptors, and require this hormone to stimulate these receptors for normal cell function. Estrogen is needed to keep the skin smooth and moist, and the body's internal thermostat operating properly. Although estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, the hormone does not disappear entirely. Other organs take over from the ovaries and continue to produce a less potent form of estrogen. The organs known as endocrine glands secrete some hormones from fatty tissue to maintain bodily functions.

Perimenopause is the period when a woman's body is preparing for menopause. For most women, hormone production begins to slow down when they reach their thirties, and continues to diminish as they age. Many women experience few if any symptoms during this time but others may suffer from some, or all, of the following: anxiety, dry skin, fatigue, feelings of bloating, headaches, heart palpitations, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, decreased interest in sex, loss of concentration, mood swings, night sweats, reduced stamina, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness and itching, and weight gain.