Permanent cessation of menstruation caused by decreased production of female sex hormones.
A period, usually between 45 and 55 years of age, when a woman stops menstruating and can no longer bear children.
Cessation of the regular cycle of menstruation, either gradually or suddenly, marking the end of a woman’s ability to bear children naturally, generally occurring between ages 45 and 55. During menopause, the eggs stop being produced and the body makes less of the hormone called estrogen, sometimes causing physical problems. Women approaching menopause generally do not conceive as readily as they would earlier in their lives for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that fewer follicles (egg-forming cells) are available or suitable for possible fertilization. Some surgical procedures, such as hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), or physiological problems can bring on premature menopause, ending early a woman’s ability to reproduce. Embryo transfer techniques have been applied experimentally to allow some women in menopause to bear children.
Cessation of menstruation, usually occurring naturally between the ages of 45 and 55. The term is also used to refer to that stage of a woman’s life during which gradual hormonal changes, sometimes accompanied by vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, and other signs (e.g., dryness of vaginal membranes and palpitations), lead to the cessation of menstrual periods. The production of gonadotropins from the pituitary and estrogens from the ovaries gradually decrease; ovulation ceases; and menstrual periods stop. The periods may become scanty and irregular in occurrence, or there may be episodes of heavy bleeding or abrupt cessation. Emotional disturbances may result from hormonal imbalances during the period, but many of the symptoms once believed due to menopause cannot be reliably attributed to it. Women from different ethnic and or cultural groups report different menopausal symptoms. In one study, hot flashes occurred in about 30% of Caucasians and 45% of African Americans. Hispanic women tended to complain of urine leakage, vaginal dryness, and heart pounding. Japanese and Chinese women experienced far fewer menopausal symptoms, except for forgetfulness. Also called climacteric and, colloquially, change of life.
The period during a woman’s life when menstrual periods occur irregularly and finally cease. Also known as the climacteric, this condition generally starts between the ages of 45 and 50, and may last from several months to several years.
The process during which a woman stops menstruating; literally, a woman’s final menstrual period. Menopause generally occurs between ages 40 and 55; the average age is 51. Menopause is considered premature when it occurs before age 40. Women will go through menopause early if they have had their ovaries (see ovary) removed or if they have received radiation therapy to the ovaries. Smokers and underweight women tend to have an earlier menopause, while overweight women may have a later menopause. As a rule, a woman will tend to go through menopause at about the same age her mother did.
The time in a woman’s life when the ovaries cease to produce an egg cell at regular intervals and therefore menstruation ceases and the woman is no longer able to bear children. The menopause can occur at any age between the middle thirties and the late fifties. Menstruation may decrease gradually in successive periods or the intervals between periods may lengthen; alternatively there may be a sudden and complete stoppage of the monthly periods. At the time of the menopause there is a change in the balance of sex hormones in the body, which sometimes leads to hot flushes, palpitations, and dryness of the mucous membrane lining the vagina. Some women may also experience emotional disturbances.
The cessation of menstruation at the end of reproductive life. Usually it occurs between the ages of 45 and 50, although it may occur before the age of 30 or after the age of 50. It can be a psychologically disturbing experience which is quite often accompanied by physical manifestations. These may include hot flushes, tiredness, irritability, lack of concentration, palpitations, aching joints and vaginal irritation. There may also be loss of libido. Most women can and do live happy, active lives through the menopause, the length of which varies considerably.
The period that marks the permanent cessation of menstrual activity, normally occurring in the U.S. between the ages of 40 and 58. Menopause is said to have occurred once the woman has experienced 12 full months without any menstrual bleeding. The mean age of menopause in the U.S. is 51. The menses may stop suddenly, but this phenomenon is relatively rare. For most women there is first a menopausal transition often lasting a few years, during which ovulation becomes infrequent, menstrual cycles become irregular, brief periods of amenorrhea, polymenorrhea, or hypermenorrhea occur, and follicle stimulating hormone levels rise. Natural menopause will occur in 25% of women by age 47, 50% by age 50, 75% by age 52, and 95% by age 55. Pathologic or premature menopause due to surgical removed of the ovaries, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or to disorders such as malnutrition, debilitation, or extreme emotional stress can occur at any age. Women with short menstrual cycles, lower body weight, a history of smoking, nulliparity, and lower socioeconomic status may reach menopause earlier than the rest of the population. Obesity and overweight may contribute to a delayed onset of menopause.
The time of life when a woman stops ovulating and menstruating.
The time when a woman’s body stops producing ova and hormones related to fertility and menstruation.
The period when menstruation ceases, occurring usually between the ages of 45 and 55.
Cessation of menstruation in the human female, usually occurring around the age of 50.
The halting of ovulation (the production of eggs) and menstruation (the shedding of blood and tissue from the uterus) typically takes place between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being 52. “Menopause” commonly denotes a phase marked by physical and emotional changes due to decreased production of oestrogen.
Menopause typically unfolds over time, marked by a shift in menstrual cycles (refer to perimenopause) and then leading to amenorrhoea (the stopping of menstrual periods). Medical interventions, like the surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy), radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, can also induce menopause. For a small group of women, menopause might manifest unusually early, generally before the age of 40.
Some women experience minimal issues during menopause, while others might face symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. There can be vaginal dryness due to the thinning of its lining, accompanied by a reduction in vaginal secretions. The tissue in the bladder’s neck and the urethra might thin out, leading to frequent urges to urinate. Additionally, breast size often reduces. Some women may also encounter psychological symptoms such as difficulty focusing, emotional sensitivity, reduced sexual interest, and depression.
During menopause, metabolic changes take place, but their symptoms might not be evident immediately. For all women, there’s a decline in bone thickness, which is most pronounced in the years just following menopause. This decrease in bone density can lead to osteoporosis. Additionally, the likelihood of heart disease rises, eventually matching the risk level for men of comparable age. This is largely due to a significant drop in oestrogen hormones, which shield premenopausal women from heart disease.
During menopause, women can safeguard against bone density loss by engaging in weight-bearing exercises like walking and consuming calcium-rich foods like dairy products and green, leafy vegetables. To protect against heart disease, it’s beneficial to avoid fatty foods, quit smoking, and moderate alcohol consumption.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help alleviate symptoms of menopause and decrease the likelihood of osteoporosis-related fractures. Nonetheless, it’s typically not the primary treatment choice due to potential risks like abnormal blood clotting and a heightened risk of breast cancer.
That time in a woman’s life at which her childbearing period is coming to an end. It usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50 years, and in most women is characterized only by the cessation of menstruation. In other women there is a heightened emotional change which causes irritability, attacks of depression, and hot flushes all over the body. These can be controlled by sedatives and hormone treatment. Some of the depression arises because the woman fears she will no longer be able to respond to the sexual advances of her husband. This is, of course, a complete myth. Any sexual frigidity that occurs is due purely to the psychological depression and upset that this fear promotes, for even women in their sixties can still be sexually excitable and responsive. It is a curious fact that often there is a sudden increase in some women’s fertility during the menopause and, not having had a child for many years, they find themselves pregnant at a time when it is unwelcome. It is therefore unsafe to abandon contraceptive practices until a woman has reached the age of 48 and has not menstruated for the previous two years, for then she is quite unlikely to conceive. Also called change of life, climacteric.