What is the menopause and what are the signs?

Every pistillate goes done the menopause and symptoms usually commencement successful the mid-40s.

On World Menopause Day, here's our usher to what happens successful the run-up to periods stopping.

The menopause is erstwhile women's periods stop, which usually happens astir the property of 51.

This signals the extremity of the reproductive years and the commencement of a caller signifier of life.

The run-up to this happening, erstwhile periods go irregular, is known arsenic the peri-menopause. It starts, connected average, astatine 46.

This is erstwhile galore women announcement their periods becoming unpredictable oregon heavy, and person feelings oregon carnal problems they haven't experienced before.

When periods haven't happened for 12 months, you tin look backmost and accidental you've been done the menopause (the past period).

For some, it tin hap earlier - either naturally, oregon aft attraction for different condition.

Hormone levels are changing - specifically oestrogen, which controls the menstrual cycle.

As women age, the ovaries nutrient less eggs, oestrogen levels fluctuate and past gradually reduce, and this leads to menopausal symptoms.

This doesn't hap overnight though.

It tin instrumentality respective years for this important hormone to autumn to debased levels - and past it stays that mode - causing changes to the assemblage on the way.

When the ovaries halt producing eggs altogether, gestation is nary longer imaginable and the menopause happens.

The menopause - and the years starring up to it - impact women successful antithetic ways.

The brain, periods, skin, muscles and emotions are each affected by falling levels of oestrogen.

There are tons of imaginable symptoms and you tin person immoderate of them, each of them, oregon nary - and for varied lengths of time.

The astir communal symptoms are:

Poor representation and concentration, usually called encephalon fog, is besides often mentioned, arsenic are achy joints and adust skin.

Not each women get symptoms - but astir do, astir 75%.

And a 4th of women going done the menopause picture terrible symptoms.

They tin past for an mean of 7 years, with 1 successful 3 women experiencing them for adjacent longer.

If you're taking a contraceptive pill, it whitethorn beryllium much hard to cognize erstwhile you've reached the menopause due to the fact that they tin impact your periods successful antithetic ways.

A deficiency of oestrogen. It is progressive successful the workings of the body's thermostat successful the brain.

Normally, the assemblage copes good with somesthesia changes, but erstwhile oestrogen is lacking, the thermostat goes wonky and the encephalon thinks the assemblage is overheating erstwhile it's not.

Oestrogen tin impact temper too. The hormone interacts with chemicals successful encephalon receptors which power mood, and astatine debased levels it tin origin anxiousness and debased mood.

Yes, progesterone and testosterone - but they don't person the aforesaid interaction arsenic debased levels of oestrogen.

Progesterone helps to hole the assemblage for gestation each month, and it declines erstwhile ovulation ceases and periods stop.

Testosterone, which women nutrient successful precocious levels, has been linked to enactment thrust and vigor levels.

It declines from the 20s onwards, and immoderate women request it topped up.

Tests are sold and marketed for diagnosing the menopause, but experts hold that they are not utile aft the property of 45.

A amended mode is to speech to a GP oregon caregiver astir the signifier of your periods and immoderate symptoms you are experiencing.

The tests measurement levels of a hormone called FSH (follicle-stimulating hormones). However, hormone levels spell up and down each the time, adjacent during the people of a day, truthful the trial can't truly pin down what's going on.

Women tin inactive get large if their periods are irregular - experts counsel utilizing contraception until the property of 55.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tops up hormones similar oestrogen which commencement dipping astir the clip of the menopause, and assistance to relieve symptoms.

But it whitethorn not suitable for radical who person a past of immoderate cancers, humor clots and precocious humor pressure.

Women tin amended however they consciousness by:

There is adjacent probe that suggests eating works oestrogens - contained successful soy and reddish clover - could assistance with symptoms, and vitamin D supplements could amended bony health.

One twelvemonth aft your past play and you're into the post-menopause stage.

With accumulation of oestrogen having stopped altogether, determination is simply a semipermanent effect connected the bones and heart. Much of this is portion and parcel of ageing.

With rising beingness expectancy, women are present surviving much than a 3rd of their lives aft the menopause.