Menopause is a very personal thing for women. Some may suffer from rather severe symptoms, while others can go through this period of their lives without hardly noticing any symptoms at all. Whatever your case, in these pages we will do our best to give you information and help on menopause, in a simple and understandable way.

It is good to remember that menopause also brings relief from monthly periods, freedom from worry about unplanned pregnancy, and excitement about entering a new phase of life. Our mission is to help you to go through this change in your life as easily as possible.

So, what is menopause?

Menopause, sometimes called "the change of life", is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often between the ages of 45 and 55. This change of life happens because the woman's ovary almost completely stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. In general, a woman is considered to have reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. It is recommended that if you begin missing periods that you contact your physician first to rule out any possible illness that might be the cause and also to determine if you might be pregnant.

Changes and symptoms can start even several years earlier. Menopause is a normal change in a woman's body - but not a reason to stop living a full life.

Perimenopause is the term describing the menopause transition years. Perimenopause describes the years both before and after the final period. It is not officially a medical term, but is sometimes used to explain certain aspects of the menopause transition in lay terms.

Premenopause is a word used to describe the years leading up to the last period ever, when the levels of reproductive hormones are already becoming lower and more erratic, and the effects of hormone withdrawal may be present. Menopause is a progressive process that actually begins anywhere from 2 to 10 years before the last regular menstruation.

Postmenopause is all of the time in a woman's life that take place after her last period ever, or more accurately, all of the time that follows the point when her ovaries become inactive.

Male menopause, also called the andropause, is not considered to be an accurate description. Hormone changes in men occur gradually, over a period of many years. The effects are often subtle and not noticed until much later in life. Many doctors acknowledge that a genuine change for men occurs, but believe it has a psychological basis rather than a hormonal one. The realisation that they've left youth behind is reinforced by the signs of wrinkles, receding hairline and fat.

To learn more about the symptoms and the causes of menopause, male menopause, or the remedies for menopause, please click on the navigation bars on the top left of this page. And remember: Enjoy Your Life!

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