While menopause can happen to women anytime after 40 years of age, it usually occurs in healthy women when she is around 51 years of age. Women who smoke and are underweight experience menopause earlier than women who are overweight. Usually women follow the same age as their mother, when it comes to menopause.



Premature menopause can occur to women before they reach 40, which could be due to smoking, exposure to radiation, consumption of chemotherapeutic drugs which reduces blood supply to ovaries. Surgical menopause happens when one or both ovaries are removed or the pelvic region has undergone some radiation.

With so much fun being made about menopausal symptoms, these have now become common knowledge. One of the most commonly known are the hot flashes. These are nothing but regular rise in the body temperature. It starts during the perimenopausal years and sometimes last for two years or more. Its intensity can vary from one woman to the other. During a hot flash a woman may go through increased palpitations. This in turn causes her to sweat. At night she literally wakes up “breaking into sweat”. Night sweats can even cause a woman to change her nightclothes or even bed sheets.

The other very common menopausal symptoms are dryness of the vagina, and thinning of the skin around vagina and urethra. This symptom is particularly distressing as it leads to painful intercourse, vaginal and urinary tract infections. A reduction in sexual urge and desire is also not uncommon.

Menopause means a change in the hormone levels in your body. This can have an impact on hair too. Hair loss on the scalp, growth of small stubs of hair on the chin or cheeks are common symptoms which many women go through.

With the loosening of the pelvic muscles, women run a risk of the uterus, bladder, urethra or even rectum descending into the vaginal area.

Menopause has an effect on the heart too. Many cardiac problems, including dizziness, palpitations, irregularity of heart beat are common symptoms.

It is also presumed that menopausal women are at risk of some psychological problems too. But researchers have found that these women do not suffer any more than non-menopausal women when it comes to depression, stress, anxiety or anger. In fact, psychologists are of the opinion that change in estrogen levels, aging process, change in life's roles, etc contribute to an increased level of mental problems for the menopausal woman.

Having said so far, let us discuss about one of the most common symptoms of menopause – hot flashes and what can be done about it. Its alright to humor the symptoms, but those who make fun of it have not gone through the “personal summers” – or else they would not do this.

One of the wisest things to do to cope with hot flashes is wear clothes in layers – so that you can take them off one by one, as soon as they start. Some foods are conducive to trigger hot flashes like, spicy foods, alcohol, hot beverages like tea, coffee and cocoa. As soon as you experience hot flashes coming in, drink a glass of cold water or fruit juice. A reduction of stress levels can help reduce the onset of hot flashes too. Try and use cotton wherever possible, like lingerie, clothing and bed sheets. Cotton lets your skin breathe. Keep an ice pack or a thermos of chilled water within easy reach, when you go to bed, in case you need it to manage night sweats.

If possible keep a record of the hot flashes episodes so that your doctor can find out a pattern in its occurrences, if any and locate the reasons which trigger it.

When you have not had your menstrual periods for more than a year, you are considered to be post-menopausal.

To be able to cope better with menopause, try and find a support group to discuss and share your problems with other women. The problems will not disappear, but you will find someone to share your problems with. Depression is another possible outcome of menopause. Old memories, the empty-nest syndrome, death of a spouse – are all trigger points of mental ill health. If you suffer from depression over a long period of time, consulting a doctor helps. The doctor can then put you on to a therapist or medication to help you tide over the crises.

There is hardly any point in suffering all by yourself. Ready help is available at your fingertips to help you cross this difficult phase of your life.

Part two of this article will take a look at some of the natural and alternative methods for treating the symptoms of menopause.