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Menopause symptoms

A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. Changes and symptoms can start several years earlier.

These include:

• A change in periods - shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, with more or less time in between (irregular pattern), more or less painful
• Hot flushes and/or night sweats
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal dryness
• Mood swings
• Trouble focusing (lack of concentration)
• Less hair on head, more on face (hormone change)
• Tiredness
• Weight gain

These changes are more definite during her 40s, as are changes in the menstrual pattern. Periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent. Eventually, ovaries will shut down and a woman will have no more periods. It is possible that a woman may menstruate every month right up to her last period. However, it is much more likely that it will gradually lessening. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly which period will be the last. Most of the time, a woman has to wait until 12 months after official definition (12 months after her last period). In final months before reaching menopause, it is still possible to get pregnant, but it is quite unlikely.