Menopause

Definition of Menopause:

The cessation of menstruation (usually not official until 12 months have passed without periods), occurring at the average age of 52.  As commonly used, the word denotes the time of a woman's life, usually between the ages of 45 and 54, when periods cease and any symptoms of low estrogen levels persist, including hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, loss of libido and vaginal dryness.  When these early menopausal symptoms subside, a woman becomes postmenopausal.

Also: Menopausal

Topics Related to Menopause

Acupuncture

...as a treatment
“...Gynecological disorders PMS; Irregular periods; Infertility; Discomfort during pregnancy; PCOS; Menopausal symptoms; Endometriosis; Muscle pain and strain; Stress; Insomnia; Allergies; Sinusitis; Sinus infection; Anxiety; Depression; Fatigue; Arthritis; Weight loss; Smoking cessation; Back...”

Adenomyosis

...the condition
“...If symptoms are severe, however, hysterectomy is considered the most effective treatment, especially if a woman is not approaching menopause soon (symptoms of adenomyosis generally decrease with menopause)...”
Diagnose your symptoms now!
  • let The Analyst™ find what's wrong
  • understand what's happening to your body
  • identify any nutritional deficiencies

More topics Related to Menopause

Alfalfa

...as a treatment
“...Alfalfa has shown some estrogenic activity and may be useful in treating problems with menstruation and menopause.  Female Conditions: Late or irregular menstruation, menopausal problems, promotes lactation (milk supply) in nursing moms...”

Alzheimer's Disease

...recommendation Estrogen Replacement
“...Suggestions that the decline in estrogen levels in women at menopause might somehow make them more vulnerable to the disease have prompted interest in the hormone as a possible treatment and research has suggested that women who take estrogen are less likely...”

Andropause/Male Menopause

...the condition
“While not as severe as the female menopause, the male version is lengthier, usually lasting 15 to 20 years...”
...relationship to Syndrome X / Metabolic Syndrome
“Testosterone levels in men generally begin to decline in the fourth decade of life during the period known as andropause or male menopause.  Testosterone is important for maintaining both physical and mental health, and deficiency is associated with many symptoms including insulin resistance and weight gain at the waist...”
...recommendation DIM / I3C
“...Tissue accumulation of estrogen is a unique hallmark of andropause, distinct from estrogen deficiency which characterizes menopause.  Recent work shows that estradiol, the active form of estrogen, provokes increases in prostate specific antigen (PSA) production in human prostate tissue...”
...recommendation Test for Hormones
“Hormone testing and replacement will help to reduce symptoms and prevent the consequences associated with premature hormone reductions seen in male menopause.”
...recommendation Tribulus
“...With the increase of testosterone it has helped to alleviate some symptoms associated with male menopause.”

Atherosclerosis

...the condition
“...Risk factors include male gender, menopause in women, hypertension, elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), quitting smoking, diabetes, obesity, having a personal or family...”

Black Cohosh

...as a treatment
“...It is perhaps best known and used for symptoms associated with menopause.  The root extract is "Approved" under German Commission E for dysmenorrhea, PMS complaints and menopausal symptoms...”

Bone Density Scan

...as a treatment
“...In general, this testing is recommended for women 65 and older along with younger postmenopausal women who have further risk factors for osteoporosis, including ... Early menopause or late onset of menstrual periods...”

Breast Cancer

...the condition
“...Early onset of menstrual periods increases risk by affecting the amount of reproductive hormones a woman is exposed to during her lifetime; Late menopause – women who menstruate for more than 40 years seem to be at particular risk; Postmenopausal age – most breast cancers occur after age 50; Being childless or having a first child after age 30...”
...our question about Non-human estrogen use
“...It warned that women who used this type of estrogens to offset the symptoms of menopause also increased their chance of developing breast cancer by 30-40% by taking the hormone for more than five years...”
...recommendation Conventional Drug Avoidance
“...The usual loss after menopause is 1 to 2 percent per year...”

Calcium Requirement

...the condition
“...Bone loss is greatest in women following the menopause.  This is due to reduced levels of the hormone, estrogen...”

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

...related topic
“...The syndrome is seen more often in women, especially in pregnant and in menopausal women.  Symptoms may result from a blow, overuse, swelling, a tumor, rheumatoid arthritis, or a small carpal tunnel that squeezes the nerve...”

Chanca Piedra (Break-Stone)

...as a treatment
“...foods with preservatives, antibiotics, pesticides, drinking water "decontaminated" by chlorine, drinking water containing parasites, the use of hormones in young women as contraception and in menopausal women as a means of preventing osteoporosis and heart disease, the use of steroid hormones to combat chronic inflammatory diseases, and the use of toxic chemotherapies to combat cancer...”

Climacteric

...related topic
“Period of transition from fertility to menopause.”

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)

...the condition
“...There is good evidence – particularly in the case of women (menopause, loss of estrogen) – that sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) play a role in DDD...”

Dilation and Curettage

...related topic
“...a D&C: to remove tissue remaining in the womb in a recently pregnant woman, and as part of the investigation of a woman who is experiencing heavy or irregular periods or vaginal bleeding after menopause.”

Endometrial Cancer

...our question about Non-human estrogen use
“...[Coney, Sandra, The Menopause Industry, Spinifex Press Pty Ltd., Australia, 1991, pp.164-5]”

Endometrial Hyperplasia

...the condition
“...During adolescence and in the years before menopause women may have numerous cycles without ovulation during which there is continuous unopposed estrogen activity...”
...our question about Non-menstrual bleeding
“Endometrial hyperplasia usually occurs after menopause, when ovulation stops and progesterone is no longer made.”

Endometrial Polyps

...the condition
“...The risk does increase slightly as a patient passes age 50: polyps that appear during menopause may put the woman at greater risk...”

Endometriosis

...the condition
“...Endometriosis is rare before the onset of menstruation and after menopause but not unknown...”

Erectile Dysfunction (ED, Impotence)

...the condition
“...Men can experience a phenomenon which is similar to the female menopause between the ages of 40 and 55 referred to as the male andropause...”

Estrogen Replacement

...as a treatment
“Estrogen replacement therapy is commonly prescribed for women as their natural estrogen levels decline due to a hysterectomy or after menopause.  Taking hormones is a decision that each woman will have to make on an individual basis...”

Estrogens Low

...the condition
Menopause is the time when symptoms of low estrogen levels usually manifest themselves...”
...our question about Reduction in breast fullness (saggy breasts)
“Low levels of estrogen, typically experienced at menopause, can cause sagging breasts...”

Excess Animal Fat Consumption

...relationship to Breast Cancer
“...Breast cancer takes years to develop, usually showing up after menopause, and factors early in a woman's life may be important...”

Excessive Sweating

...the condition
“...Other people may have sweating as a symptom of known medical conditions, such as ... hot flashes associated with menopause...”

Fanconi Anemia

...the condition
“...Adult women who have Fanconi anemia may have some or all of the following signs and symptoms ... Early onset of menopause...”

Female Hair Loss

...the condition
“...Female pattern baldness usually begins about age 30, becomes noticeable around age 40, and may be even more noticeable after menopause.  It is thought that about 15% of American women have such hair loss; around 30% of affected Caucasian females are affected before menopause...”

Fibroids

...the condition
“...Once menopause has begun, fibroids generally stop growing and can begin to shrink due to the loss of estrogen...”
...our question about Non-menstrual bleeding
“The growth of uterine fibroids is estrogen dependent, which means that fibroids tend to stop growing – and often shrink – after menopause.”

Flax

...related topic
“...The oil making process removes many of the seed's phytoestrogens which offer several health-related benefits including reducing the risk of cancer and alleviating menopausal symptoms.  Many choose to use the whole seed because of its fiber and lignan content...”

Flushing

...related topic
“...Flushing can also be caused by hormonal changes when entering menopause, often accompanied by hot flashes, and during pregnancy...”

Gallbladder Disease

...our question about Non-human estrogen use
“Taking non-human estrogens after menopause doubles the risk of gallbladder disease.”

Gamma Oryzanol

...as a treatment
“...For menopause, it may affect a key hormone, luteinizing hormone...”

Gout / Hyperuricemia

...the condition
“...Gout in women occurs almost exclusively after menopause.  Women develop gout at an older age than men and have twice the prevalence of hypertension, renal insufficiency and exposure to diuretics...”

Hormone Imbalance

...the condition
“...hormones and many possible causes of imbalance, including ... Aging – Common hormonal imbalances are associated with changes in life that come with from age, for example during puberty or menopause...”

Hypothyroidism

...the condition
“...Symptoms may not appear until years after the thyroid has stopped functioning, and they are often mistaken for signs of other illnesses, or menopause, or aging...”

Insomnia

...the condition
“...Some women experience insomnia around menopause and find that hormone evaluation and balancing helps...”

Irregular Periods

...the condition
“...Irregular periods are common – and normal – during puberty and just before menopause.  About 30% of women in their reproductive years experience irregular periods...”

Low Female Testosterone Level

...the condition
“...Testosterone, which is significantly reduced following surgical or natural menopause, regulates a woman's libido...”

Maca

...as a treatment
“...Aguila Calderon, MD, the former dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the National University of Federico Villarreal in Lima uses maca for male impotence, erectile dysfunction, menopausal symptoms and general fatigue, and claims good results...”

Male Hair Loss

...the condition
“...It is estimated that around 30% of Caucasian females are affected before menopause.  Other commonly-used names for genetic hair loss include common baldness, diffuse hair loss, male or female pattern baldness...”

Menarche

...related topic
“...Also called adolescence or puberty, it is mirrored in reverse at the end of the reproductive years as menopause.”
Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
Symptom Entry
Symptom Entry
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Suggestions
Suggestions
LifeMeter
LifeMeter®
Full Explanations
Explanations
Optional Doctor Review
Review (optional)

More topics Related to Menopause

Menopausal Issues

...the condition
Menopause didn't really come into vogue as a topic of concern for the medical profession until the 1960s...”
...relationship to Syndrome X / Metabolic Syndrome
“An Australian study tracked the metabolic health of 265 women aged 46-57 for five years as many of them progressed through menopause.  The study found that a surprisingly high percentage of these women – nearly 1 out of 6 – developed impaired fasting glucose levels during this time...”
...recommendation Vitex / Chasteberry
“Low levels of progesterone are believed to contribute significantly to menopausal symptoms.  The ability of vitex to increase the secretion of luteinizing hormone which raises progesterone levels is the likely mode of action...”
...recommendation Soy Isoflavones
“The North American Menopause Society suggests that soy isoflavones can also be a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy for relief of mild menopausal symptoms...”
...recommendation Red Clover
“...[North American Menopause Society 12th Annual Meeting, Oct 4-6, 2001, New Orleans, LA...”
...recommendation Natural Progesterone
“Natural progesterone can protect against facial hair and male pattern baldness that some women have after menopause.  It can help with other symptoms as well, including hot flashes in some women.”
...recommendation Maca
“Dr. Malaspina, a respected cardiologist in Lima, has been using the maca root in his practice for a decade and reports finding maca to be effective for women with menopausal symptoms, including one who had already had her ovaries removed...”
...recommendation Black Cohosh
“Black Cohosh has been used successfully to control menopausal symptoms in a high percentage of women...”

Menorrhagia (Heavy Periods)

...relationship to Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance
“...Since hormone imbalances are often present in adolescents and in women approaching menopause, this type of menorrhagia (dysfunctional uterine bleeding) is fairly common in these groups.”

Metrorrhagia

...the condition
“...Irregular menstrual bleeding occurs most often in adolescents and in women approaching menopause.  Anovulatory or estrogen breakthrough bleeding is caused by the production of estrogen without normal surges of luteinizing hormone (LH) and secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum...”
...relationship to Endometrial Cancer
“The most common sign of endometrial cancer is unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially bleeding that occurs after passing through menopause.”

Migraine/Tension Headaches

...relationship to Estrogens Low
“...Constant low levels of estrogen, as in menopause, are less likely to be associated with increased headache pattern.”

Natural Progesterone

...as a treatment
“...found that this natural hormone – used in conjunction with a good diet and lifestyle changes – is capable of eliminating much of the suffering associated both with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause.  Millions of women in the Western world now use natural progesterone – generally in the form of a cream which is rubbed into the body...”

Nervous Breakdown Tendency

...relationship to Anxiety
“Anxiety surrounding major life changes such as divorce, unemployment, pregnancy, labor, motherhood or menopause, can contribute to a nervous breakdown.”

Night Sweats

...the condition
“...Causes include ... Menopause or Andropause...”

Osteoarthritis

...recommendation Glucosamine / Chondroitin Sulfate
“...[North American Menopause Society 12th Annual Meeting, Oct. 4-6, 2001, New Orleans, LA...”

Osteoporosis - Osteopenia

...the condition
“...Studies have shown women who use HRT for at least five years, starting soon after the menopause, reduce the risk of fracture by about 60%...”
...recommendation Soy Isoflavones
“...The closer you are to menopause, the less likely to be benefited...”
...recommendation Bone Density Scan
“...Following the onset of menopause, bone loss increases each year and can result in a total loss of 25-30% of bone density in the first five to ten years after menopause...”
...recommendation Estrogen Replacement
“Within 5 years of the initial onset of menopause, there is an accelerated rate of loss of bone, particularly from the spine...”
...recommendation Tobacco Avoidance
“Studies have shown that women who smoke one pack of cigarettes per day have on average 5-10% less bone density at menopause than do nonsmokers.”

Ovary

...related topic
“...At menopause (sometime after middle-age), egg production ceases and hormone levels drop significantly.”

Perimenopausal Issues

...the condition
“If the average American woman enters menopause around age 52, and if perimenopause can begin as early as age 35 when hormonal changes are first noticeable, then we have a 10 to 17 year period when a woman is considerably vulnerable to...”
...recommendation Vitamin Paba
“PABA helps potentiate hormones, especially in women moving toward menopause.”
...recommendation Soy Isoflavones
“A randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial (the "gold standard" study design) has shown that the isoflavones in soy appear to protect menopausal women from bone loss just as powerfully as hormone replacement therapy, but without the side-effects...”

Perimenopause

...related topic
“A transition time during which menstrual periods can become irregular and symptoms of menopause may be experienced prior to menopause...”

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

...our question about your age
“Polycystic ovary syndrome is a diagnosis made in 5%-10% of women between late adolescence and menopause.”

Poor Memory

...the condition
“...Some women experience memory loss in conjunction with menopause as a result of hormonal imbalances...”

Postmenopausal Issues

...the condition
“When midlife women move beyond menopause into postmenopause, they may experience changes due to aging that may – or may not – be related to declining hormone levels...”
...our question about Hysterectomy
“...When both ovaries are removed, the levels of estrogen in the body drop dramatically and women usually experience symptoms of "surgical menopause" within a few days of surgery.”
...relationship to Coronary Disease / Heart Attack
“Certain risks to cardiovascular health begin around the time of menopause, and rapidly increase after menopause...”

Postmenopause

...related topic
“The postmenopausal phase of a woman's life begins when 12 full months have passed since the last menstrual period and any menopausal symptoms have become milder and/or less frequent.”

Premenstrual Syndrome

...the condition
“...A woman's menstrual cycle is controlled by several hormones at varying levels which determine the rhythm and length of a cycle and send a signal for menopause.  These hormonal controls involve the ovaries, brain and pituitary glands...”

Progesterone Excess

...the condition
“...These can be found in birth-control pills, in hormones given during menopause for replacement therapy, or in medications to correct abnormal bleeding problems during menses...”

Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance

...the condition
“...In addition, women suffer from a plethora of symptoms, some menopausal and others not...”

Prostate Cancer

...recommendation Natural Progesterone
“Dr. John Lee, M.D., the author of several books including What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, has found that progesterone for men is one of the most effective treatments for prostate cancer...”

Rosacea

...the condition
“...The cause of rosacea is unknown, but many factors have been suspected of influencing it: alcoholism, menopausal and other flushing, a tendency towards seborrhea, local infection, B-vitamin deficiencies and gastrointestinal disorders...”

Sage

...as a treatment
“...Many traditional herbalists recommend sage tea as a remedy for menopausal night sweats...”

Soy Isoflavones

...as a treatment
“...They may even relieve some menopausal symptoms as well...”

Test Estrogen Level

...as a treatment
“...This is the major source of estrogen in women who have gone through menopause.  Estradiol is the estrogen that is most commonly measured in women who are not pregnant...”

Tryptophan / 5HTP

...as a treatment
“...Tryptophan has an antidepressant effect and is particularly effective against manic depression and depression associated with menopause.  Many depressed patients have low levels of tryptophan...”

Urinary Stress/Urge Incontinence

...the condition
“...Natrum muriaticum for stress incontinence associated with the menopausal symptoms of vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and a history of emotional grief...”
...relationship to Estrogens Low
“...These changes become more pronounced following menopause as estrogen deficiency allows atrophy of the genitourinary tissues.”

Vaginal Dryness

...the condition
“...It is most often associated with the normal decline or fluctuation in the female hormone estrogen, which can be triggered by giving birth, breastfeeding or menopause.  Although the condition is more common in older women, it can occur at any age...”

Vaginal Itching

...the condition
“...Persistent itching of the vaginal and vulval areas may be due to chemicals such as detergents, infections, pregnancy or menopause.  Itching During Pregnancy...”

Varicose Veins

...the condition
“...Obesity, menopause, aging, constipation and repeated abdominal strain, as well as heavy lifting, may contribute...”

Vitex / Chasteberry

...as a treatment
“...Other uses Low levels of progesterone are believed to contribute significantly to menopausal symptoms...”

Vulvodynia / Vestibulitis

...recommendation Estrogen Replacement
“...It may help you even if you have not reached menopause or do not have estrogen deficiency...”
Report by The Analyst™
Click to see sample report
Health problems rarely occur in isolation or for obvious reasons

Your body is a highly complex, interconnected system.  Instead of guessing at what might be wrong, let us help you discover what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving.

Our multiple symptom checker provides in-depth health analysis by The Analyst™ with full explanations, recommendations and (optionally) doctors available for case review and answering your specific questions.

We use cookies for traffic analysis, advertising, and to provide the best user experience