The term “menopause” generally refers to the time of life when menstruation happens less often and finallys stops altogether. Technically, you’ve gone through menopause when you’ve had no periods for a full year.

The average age at menopause is 51.

Two of the most common early signs of menopause include missed or irregular periods and sudden increases in body heat — hot flashes — that can range from mild to majorly disruptive. Other early signs are vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, dry skin, and difficulty sleeping.

It can vary from person to person, but the average length of menopause is 4 years.

Menopause is considered early or premature if it happens before the age of 40. Premature menopause will occur if you have your uterus removed via a hysterectomy, or it can be the result of damage to the ovaries.

• Perimenopause refers to the years before menopause when estrogen production by the ovaries begins to slow. Periods may become more irregular during this time.
• Menopause is defined as one year without periods. At this point, the ovaries are no longer producing much estrogen and have stopped releasing eggs.
• Postmenopause applies to the rest of your life after menopause, when lack of estrogen can continue to contribute to health issues.

Menopause treatments include hormone replacement therapy to replace lost estrogen, estrogen cream or gel to relieve vaginal dryness, drugs to manage hot flashes, and our favorite: physical therapy to address pelvic floor dysfunction.