How Long Does Menopause Last

Women tend to undergo many biological processes that indicate a particular phase in their life. They begin with menstruation after reaching puberty. During their child-bearing age, they become pregnant and continue to menstruate every month till they reach menopause. Medically, menopause is defined as the end of the reproductive phase of a woman. The minute women spot the early signs of menopause, they ask a common question to their respective gynecologist. This question is rather simple, 'how long does menopause last'? We shall have a look at some information related to menopause and the time period it will last.

Symptoms of Menopause
The symptoms of menopause start at their own schedule in each woman. As each woman is different, the symptoms of menopause also vary. A woman first begins to observe signs of perimenopause. A woman will experience weight gain that is very hard to shed. It is during perimenopause a woman will undergo endocrinologic and biologic changes. These changes lead to decrease in production of ovarian hormone. This leads to many symptoms that include irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, insomnia, etc.

After experiencing the perimenopausal symptoms, subsequently time women will observe signs of menopause. These symptoms become stronger as one begins to move towards menopause. The symptoms of menopause include:

• Skin flushing that makes it feel warm to touch
• Decrease in libido
• Hot flashes
• Irregular menstrual periods that become scantier each month
• Fatigue
• Mood swings, bouts of depression and irritability

Some women experience amenorrhea almost suddenly. While most women experience gradual changes in their body over several years. They find their periods become closely spaced or widely spaced. Each women will complain of a different symptom all related to menopause. Let us now have a look at what age does menopause start.

Age of Menopause
Most women are under the impression, symptoms of menopause occur in the late forties or early fifties. However, it has been found the age of menopause may be early 30s for some women and as late as early 50's. It is very natural for the average menopause age to be between the age of 45 years and 55 years. It has been medically proven the maximum number of women who experienced menopause were in the age group of 51.4 years. Premature menopause occurs before the age of 40 years due to chemotherapy, hysterectomy, excessive smoking, malnutrition, trauma, etc. Till a woman does not attain amenorrhea and enters post menopause, she is said to be in perimenopause.

What is the Average Duration of Menopause?
Now, coming back to our main question, how long does menopause last? As we have understood from the above paragraph, the age of menopause starts between 45 to 55 years. Menopause occurs in different stages like perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. The perimenopause can last for 2 to 8 years and ends just before the total end of the monthly menstruation cycle. It is possible to become pregnant during the perimenopausal stage. Menopause is the stage when a woman does not experience menstruation for about 12 months at a stretch. This is followed by post menopause stage where a woman experiences a lot of emotional and physical changes as well as discomfort. Thus, on an average menopause lasts for about 2 to 10 years. It may vary in each woman depending on their biological clock.

This is all about how long does menopause last. You should maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a healthy diet and avoid excessive smoking and drinking alcohol. This will help you suffer from less side effects of menopause. Regular health check ups will help you stay fit and find out any health issues at the earliest. Speak to your doctor regarding menopause and the precautions you should take that will help avoid health complications.