How to Understand Menopause

Video Transcript

"The menopause is that point in time in which cessation of menstruation occurs after loss of ovarian activity. In practical terms this means we define it as one year after a person's last menstrual period. The average of menopause in the United States is 51 or actually between 51 and, between 50 and 52 with most people experiencing around age 51 but of course there are some women that enter the menopause earlier in their 40's and some women that won't enter until their late 50's. Symptoms associated with the menopause include changes in body mass, in the skin specifically wrinkling, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, anxiety, depression, fatigue. Other changes not necessarily symptoms but changes that occur in the body that can be monitored by a doctor are osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. If you feel you are experiencing any of these symptoms I just mentioned you should engage in a conversation with your physician, preferably a gynecologist regarding hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is a big and complicated subject and there's a lot of research showing both benefits and risks associated with it but if entered to appropriately can be beneficial for a patient for the appropriate patient and also keep in mind that these symptoms don't necessarily last for a very long time. Some women only experience these symptoms for a couple of years, other women can experience it for a little bit longer but after time they do tend to end on their own. The menopause itself doesn't really end until the end of a person's life but the symptoms can change throughout that time span."