The term menopause is used to describe an event or a period in a woman’s life. In some contexts, it is used to designate a period of several years, typically the time when a woman is in her 40’s through the decade of her 50’s and beyond. Strictly speaking, a woman is said to have experienced menopause when she has had 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. On average, menopause occurs around 51 years of age. The premenopausal process, however, usually begins in the early ’40s. Diminishing sex hormone levels can be measured in a woman as early as her mid-30’s.
“Menopausal” women represent a major component of the population. An estimated 50 million women in the US have reached menopause. Most women can expect to spend around 1/3 of their lives after menopause has occurred.
Menopause has often been referred to as “the change of life” because it is a time in a woman’s life when regular menstruation stops and she can no longer conceive. Symptoms of menopause may include:
- hot flashes,
- mood swings,
- vaginal dryness,
- diminished sexual desire,
- forgetfulness,
- trouble sleeping, and
- urinary incontinence.
Until the 1950s, society’s attitude was that menopause is a woman’s face and she should simply accept her destiny. Now there are many medical strategies to cope with the symptoms of menopause. Women are encouraged to think of menopause not as a cataclysmic event in life, but merely as a time of transition.
The mature woman – post menopause
Before the 20th century, the average woman didn’t live long enough to worry about the quality of her life after cessation of menses. Now, most women live for several decades beyond menopause.
This is not necessarily good news. Almost half of U.S. women over age 75 are living alone in relative social isolation. Most residents in nursing homes are women. Not only does the mature woman often have to deal with osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease, but she is also confronted with other health problems including hearing loss, diminished vison, incontinence, arthritis, insomnia, memory loss, and sexual dysfunction.
The problems of a sedentary, isolated life style can be compounded by poor diet, smoking, and alcohol or drug abuse. Studies show that it is never too late to benefit from an improved diet, moderate exercise, cessation of cigarette smoking and drug usage, and decreasing alcohol consumption.
Disease, rather than normal aging, usually accounts for loss of function in the mature woman. Nothing can be done to prevent the passage of years, but a great deal can be accomplished during a woman’s life to prevent and treat the diseases that keep her from maintaining her best possible state of health.
Source: Women’s Health: Wellness, Sex, Love, Fitness, Issues, Pregnancy & Menopause (medicinenet.com)
