What is the menopausal transition?
The menopausal transition (perimenopause) is the period between a female’s reproductive (childbearing) years and menopause. A woman is said to be in menopause if they have had no menstrual periods for 1 year.
Once in menopause, the ovaries essentially stop making hormones and lose their ability to release an egg (ovulate) to achieve pregnancy. The average age for menopause is 51 years.
During the menopausal transition, females often have changing menstrual cycles, vaginal dryness, hot flashes or flushes (a sudden sense of heat and flushing with sweating and sometimes chills), and problems with sleep. Some of these symptoms happen all the time while others come and go. Symptoms range from none to unbearable and can interfere with daily activities and sleep. Perimenopause is different for each female patient but usually lasts about 5 years.
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