Natural Menopause

For most women, the natural process of menopause usually begins in their early 50s, when periods may become less regular. Declining levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone cause changes in your periods. These hormones
help keep the vagina and uterus healthy and create menstrual cycles.

Surgical Menopause/Hysterectomy

Some women enter menopause as a result of surgery. Removal of your uterus (hysterectomy) and ovaries (oophorectomy) will initiate menopause at any age. Depending on your age, removal of the uterus alone, although stopping menstruation, does not cause menopause. This is because the ovaries, not the uterus, produce hormones. However, women who have only the uterus removed may experience menopause sooner, depending on ovarian function before the hysterectomy.

Symptoms Associated with Menopause.

Because of the decline in estrogen levels, you may start to experience symptoms. The good news is that you can treat certain moderate to severe symptoms associated with menopause and continue to live your active life. The following symptoms, when moderate to severe, are treatable by hormone therapy:

• Hot flashes—the most common symptoms associated with menopause
• Night sweats—hot flashes that occur at night accompanied by heavy perspiration
• Vaginal dryness (itching, burning, and irritation) and atrophy (narrowing and shortening of the vagina)

If you use hormone therapy only to treat dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogen might be better for you.