It has been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. For women, you can add menopause to that list. Every woman will experience menopause…for some it is a small speed bump in life; for others it’s more of a slow, miserable experience that affects every aspect of their lives. Think you know about menopause and the effects it has on women? Here’s a quick list of menopause terms you should know…

  • Premenopausal-Normal adult life, having periods monthly.
  • Perimenopausal-your ovaries start producing less estrogen, causing symptoms such as: hot flashes, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, decreased libido, and fatigue.
  • Menopausal-ovaries stop functioning, menstruation ends, and symptoms will get worse as your body tries to adjust. Once you’ve stopped bleeding for an entire year, you know you’ve gone through menopause.
  • Postmenopausal-Periods have stopped, symptoms are better…you can look forward to the rest of your life!
  • Premature menopause-menopause starting before age 40.
  • Surgical or induced menopause-menopause caused by surgical removal of or by damage to the ovaries. Not the natural progression.
  • Hot flashes-sudden wave of mild to intense body heat caused by decreasing levels of estrogen
  • Night sweats-severe hot flashes that occur at night drenching you in sweat
  • Insomnia-inability to fall asleep or remain asleep…a common occurance during menopause
  • Libido-the sex drive. As women progress through menopause, often the libido decreases. Most of this decrease can be attributed to the effects of hormone imbalance and the symptoms caused by the imbalance.
  • LH and FSH-luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone are blood serum tests used to evaluate pituitary function and fertility. These hormone levels will rise during menopause as your body tries to stimulate your remaining eggs to mature.

There are many signs and symptoms of menopause…and it’s different for each woman. Keep the lines of communication with your provider open, and together the two of you can create a plan for dealing with your symptoms as they arise. Menopause doesn’t have to be a miserable experience.