When does menopause start for most women?   by Micheal Johnson

in Health / Wellness    (submitted 2011-07-10)

Common question of everybody about menopause is "What age does menopause start? But first let us know, what is menopause? Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries, as defined by wikipedia.

The word "menopause" literally means the "end of monthly cycles" from the Greek word pausis (cessation) and the root men- (month), because the word "menopause" was created to describe this change in human females, where the end of fertility is traditionally indicated by the permanent stopping of monthly menstruation or menses.

Menopause is normally part of life, just like puberty. It is the point of a woman' last period, but symptoms can begin several years earlier. A few indication of menopause can proceed for months or years after. Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are two female hormones made in your in a woman's ovaries, might lead to these symptoms.

What age does menopause start? The age that menopause will occur to a woman will most likely be in her late 40s or early 50s (45-55) and indicates the end of the fertile stage of a woman's life. Perimenopause is the term used to describe the menopause transition years. During this period, fertility reduces, but is not considered to reach zero until the official date of menopause.

The official date of menopause is determined retroactively, once 12 months have passed after the last appearance of menstrual blood. Signs and effects of the menopause transition can start on as early as age 35, even though most women become attentive of the transition in their mid to late 40s, often many years after the actual beginning of the perimenopausal window.

The term postmenopause is applied to women who have not gone through a menstrual bleed for a smallest amount of 12 months, assuming that they do still have a uterus, and are not pregnant or lactating. In women without a uterus, menopause or postmenopause is identified by a very high FSH level. Thus postmenopause is all of the time in a woman's life that take place after her last period, or more exactly, all of the time that follows the point when her ovaries turn out to be inactive.

There is a case called under premature menopause, it is when like a woman's ovaries stop functioning at a very early age, ranging anywhere from the age of puberty to age 40, and this is known as premature ovarian failure (POF) where in its not considered to be due to the normal effects of aging.

Finally, it's unmanageable to decide in what age does menopause start since it's is varied hugely from woman to woman. Menopause can strike as soon as your 30's or as late as your 50's but most of the women can acquire as far as the average age of menopause (51). Menopause is not a terrified moment. Instead, menopause can be a constructive experience. It can be an chance for you to give extra good care on yourself and get on new experiences that will benefit your wellness and life.

About the Author

What age does menopause start?