What is Menopause?

Series Summary

Menopause is the permanent faltering or shutting down of the ovaries, completely changing the hormonal constitution of the woman’s body and triggering a watershed of uncomfortable symptoms and conditions. Although tied to the cessation of menstruation, this winding-down of the uterus is secondary to the hormonal changes produced in the ovaries. In late midlife, age 51 for many women, the female’s body loses fertility and undergoes a severe shift in hormone levels. Literally, menopause is a singular event, the final monthly period in a woman’s life. Casually, “menopause” is used to talk about the transitional years surrounding menopause, including the common symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, fatigue, and insomnia. Doctors refer to this transitional time as “perimenopause.”

In this free video series, our expert physician gives you tips for menopause relief. Learn simple things that you can do to live through "The Change." Dr. Jewell shows you how to relieve hot flashes and insomnia. Learn how exercising and acupuncture can help with menopause symptoms. Dr. Jewell gives you advice for taking vitamins, tofu, and other natural remedies. So, if you are looking for menopause relief, watch this free video series today!

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Doctor Susan Jewell and on behalf of Expert Village, I want to talk to you today about how to recognize and to live with menopause, but before I start, I want to introduce myself. I'm a clinical research physician, both in the area of oncology and AIDS/HIV. I've trained at the National Cancer Institute and at UCLA School of Medicine. Now, in this first clip, I'm just going to give you a definition of menopause. Menopause means there's a decrease in the body's production of estrogen. Estrogen is a natural hormone found in women and is produced by the ovaries. At a certain stage in a woman's life cycle - usually around the late forties and fifties - the production of estrogen drops and that's when you're going to get the - what we would recognize or say - the menopausal signs and symptoms, which we will discuss in detail."