Menopause
Menopause is the point in your life when you permanently stop having menstrual periods. After one year of having no periods, you've reached menopause. In most cases, menopause happens at around age 50, but everyone's body has its own timeline. As you get closer to menopause, your estrogen levels go up and down unevenly. This causes changes in your period and other symptoms, such as hot flashes, headaches, and sleep problems. After your estrogen levels drop past a certain point, your menstrual cycles end. You don't need treatment for it unless your symptoms bother you.
View Kaiser Permanente's Menopause and Midlife guidebook.
Phases of Menopause
There are three phases of menopause: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Each phase occurs gradually. There’s no lab test to confirm that you’re now “in menopause.” Often, the first sign of perimenopause is irregular periods. For some people, this will be their only menopausal symptom. Learn more about the phases of menopause.
Hot Flashes
A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense body heat, often with profuse sweating and reddening of the head, neck, and chest. These symptoms can be accompanied by mild to severe heart palpitations, anxiety, irritability and, in rare cases, panic. Hot flashes are the most common symptom of changing estrogen levels around the time of menopause. They strike unexpectedly, often at night, and usually last several seconds to minutes.
Hormone Therapy (HT)
Hormone therapy usually uses a combination of two hormones, estrogen and progestin. HT comes in the form of a pill, patch, gel, spray, or vaginal ring. HT increases the estrogen and progestin levels in your body. It can prevent osteoporosis and ease menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep problems.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects your bones. It means that you have bones that are thin and brittle with lots of holes inside them like a sponge, making them easy to break. Osteoporosis can lead to broken bones (fractures) in the hip, spine, and wrist. These fractures can be disabling and may make it hard for you to live on your own. Osteoporosis affects millions of older adults and usually occurs after age 60. It's most common in women, but men can get it too. Learn more about osteoporosis.
Preventing Osteoporosis
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Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
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Do weight-bearing exercise to help you build strong bones
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Don’t smoke
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Limit how much alcohol you drink
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. These cancer cells can spread (metastasize) to nearby tissues and form a mass, called a tumor. The cells can spread within the breast, to nearby lymph nodes and other tissues, and to other parts of the body.
Reducing Your Risk
There is no known way to prevent breast cancer, but you can reduce your risk:
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Get familiar with the look and feel of your breasts to help you notice any changes
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Have regular breast exams
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Have regular mammograms
Resources
Normal Sexual Changes in Females
Most physical changes take place after menopause as a result of decreased estrogen levels. Hormone therapy can reduce these changes.
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It may take longer to become sexually excited
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The walls of the vagina get thinner and drier and they're more easily irritated during sexual intercourse
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Orgasms may be somewhat shorter than they used to be and the contractions felt during orgasm can be less intense
Learn more about sexuality and physical changes associated with aging.