Definition of Menopause transition
Menopause transition: A
woman can usually tell if she is approaching menopause because her menstrual periods starts changing. The medical terms used
to describe this time are the "menopause transition" and "perimenopause".
The changes of the menopause transition (perimenopause) typically begin
several years before the natural menopause. Menopause transition is a time when
the levels of hormones produced by the aging ovaries fluctuate, leading to
irregular menstrual patterns (irregularity in the length of the period, the time
between periods, and the level of flow) and hot flashes (a sudden
warm feeling with flushing). Other changes that may be associated with the
perimenopause and menopause include night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, fluctuations in
sexual desire (libido), forgetfulness, trouble sleeping and fatigue, probably from
loss of sleep.
The menopause is the "change of life," the time in a woman's life when
menstrual periods permanently stop. Menopause is the opposite of the menarche.
Menopause is defined as the time when there have been no menstrual periods for
12 consecutive months and no other biological or physiological cause can be
identified. It is the end of fertility, the end of the childbearing years. (A
woman may still, however, be able to become pregnant unless 12 consecutive
months have passed without a period.)
Natural menopause occurs when the ovaries naturally begin decreasing their
production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Induced menopause occurs if the ovaries are surgically removed (by bilateral
oophorectomy) or damaged by radiation or drugs. Due to the abrupt cutoff of
ovarian hormones, induced menopause causes the sudden onset of hot flashes
and other menopause-related symptoms such as a vaginal dryness and a decline in sex
drive.
The timing of natural menopause is variable. In the western world the average
age is now 51. There is no relation between the time of a woman's first period
and her age at menopause. The age at menopause is not influenced by a woman's
race, height, number of children or use of oral contraceptives.
Hormone therapy (HT) with estrogen and/or progesterone has been used is used
to treat the symptoms of menopause when these are disturbing or severe.
Last Editorial Review: 1/27/2009Common Misspellings: menapause transition
- gabapentin, Neurontin, Gabarone - Read about the medication gabapentin (Neurontin, Gabarone), a drug used for treating seizure disorders, shingles, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, and hyperydrosis.
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C) - Read about dilation and Curettage (D&C), a procedure performed for a variety of reasons including determining the cause of abnormal uterine (vaginal) bleeding, tissue removal after miscarriage, or abortion.
- Night Sweats - Night sweats have many different causes. A doctors must take a complete medical history and order tests to find the cause of the underlying medical condition that is responsible for night sweats.
Latest Medical News
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
Menopause RSS