Menopause
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- Menopause Overview
- Menopause Causes
- Menopause Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Menopause Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medications
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- Next Steps
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- Viewer Comments: Menopause - Symptoms Experienced
Menopause Overview
Menopause, the time when a woman stops having menstrual periods, is not a disease or an illness. It is a transition between two phases of a woman's life.
Many women experience a variety of symptoms as a result of the hormonal changes associated with the transition through menopause. Around the time of menopause, women often lose bone density and their blood cholesterol levels may worsen, increasing their risk of heart disease.
Premature menopause: The average age of US women at the time of menopause is 51 years. The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered to be premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence.
- Menopause is more likely to occur at a slightly earlier age in women who smoke, have never been pregnant, or live at high altitudes.
- If premature menopause occurs, a health care practitioner will check for other medical problems. About 1% of women experience premature menopause.
Perimenopause: The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a three to five year period called the perimenopause. During this transition, women may begin to experience menopausal symptoms and may lose bone density, even though they are still menstruating.
Surgical menopause: Surgical menopause is menopause induced by the removal of the ovaries. Women who have had surgical menopause often have a sudden and severe onset of the symptoms of menopause.
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Menopause - Symptoms Experienced
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Menopause
Dilation and Curettage (D&C) »
Dilation and Curettage (D&C) Introduction
The dilation and curettage procedure is called a D&C. The D stands for dilation, which means enlarging. Curettage (the C) means scraping. Together, this procedure involves expanding or enlarging the entrance of a woman's uterus so that a thin, sharp instrument can scrape or suction away the lining of the uterus and take tissue samples.
Today, the procedure is routine and considered safe. It is minor surgery performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center or clinic. D&C is usually a diagnostic procedure and seldom is therapeutic. It may stop bleeding for a little while (2-6 months), then the prior abnormal bleeding tends to return.
A generation ago, many women were not given this option for so-called female problems. Instead, they were left with the option of hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus/womb) or other major surgery.
- A D&C is seldom done as a lone procedure anymore. It is most fre...
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Menopause »
Menopause is a universal and irreversible part of the overall aging process involving a woman's reproductive system, after which she no longer menstruates.
