Information on symptoms of menopause.

Menopause is the medical term for the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles. It is a natural part of a woman’s life and occurs when the ovaries stop making hormones. This causes estrogen levels to drop and leads to the end of menstrual cycles. Menopause can also occur when the ovaries are surgically removed.

The most common and easy to recognize symptom of menopause is hot flashes (sudden, intense waves of heat and sweating). Some women find that these hot flashes disrupt their sleep, causing constant tiredness, and others respond with mood changes. Additional symptoms of perimenopause or menopause may include, breast pain, irregular periods, vaginal and urinary tract changes, sexual problems as well as change in the complexion and hair.

All of these symptoms are described in greater detail in this section. Please click on the symptom that you would like to know more about. Also, follow the links to learn about treatment options for that specific symptom.

Over the long term, some women do experience health problems linked to the permanent low levels of estrogen found in a woman’s body after menopause. These may include osteoporosis and heart disease. To find out more click here or go to the Health Concerns section of this site.