Menopause is part of the natural, life-long process of female growth and development. The word menopause originates from the Greek words meaning "to cease" and "month." In essence, menopause refers to the stopping of menstruation. For most American women, menopause occurs at an average age of 51, but it can begin as early as 40 and end as late as 58.

Every woman's menopause is unique and personal. Four out of five women go through "the change of life," as menopause is often called, with few signs beyond the ending of their monthly periods.

As your body ages (gracefully of course) it goes through a lot of changes - and at this stage in your life your body's production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone start to decline. It is this reduction in natural levels of the female hormones that brings about the menopausal symptoms and change of life.

The three clear signs of the onset of menopause are an irregular monthly flow, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Hot flashes have long been considered the classic symptom of menopause. A woman experiencing a hot flash may feel a sudden wave of warmth in the face, neck, and chest, lasting for several minutes and accompanied by reddening of the skin, like blushing.

Hot flashes can bring on with heavy perspiration over the upper body, dizziness, headaches, and palpitations (rapid heart beats). The easiest way to manage hot flashes is to control body temperature by wearing layered clothing that can be removed, drinking cold liquids, and when possible, taking a swim or a cold shower.

Vaginal dryness is another classic sign of menopause, though one less talked about. As your body is producing less female hormones (estrogen and progesterone), the side effect of this is to thin out the urinary tract and vaginal walls, which leaves the skin there even more delicate and susceptible to damage and infection. In some cases, this thinning can make sexual intercourse an uncomfortable and even painful experience.

However, all is not lost - there are many natural and alternative treatments for menopause, and some very effective herbs for menopause symptoms. Vaginal dryness can be effectively treated with k-y jelly, apricot oil or vitamin E oil. Black cohosh is also effective for treating hot flashes.