Menopause is defined as the end of a female’s menstrual cycle for at least 12 months. This occurs when women’s ovaries stop releasing eggs, prompting menstruation to stop. While it is a normal part of aging, the age when women experience it can vary depending on a number of different factors. Although menstruation usually occurs when a woman is in her 40s or 50s, there are also times when a woman goes through premature menopause, like when the ovaries are removed early due to damage or a hysterectomy.
Most women tend to experience very similar symptoms when they begin menopausing, but these symptoms can also vary from person to person. For some, they only experience mild symptoms, while others have more extreme or severe ones. The state before a woman reaches menopause is also called perimenopause, which is the period before a female is considered to be in a menopausal state.
In order to learn more about whether you could be in menopause, we have listed down 15 early warning signs below.
1. Irregular Periods
One of the earliest signs that a woman is heading into menopause is when their menstrual periods become more and more irregular. Some women begin to experience that their period has begun starting later than usual during their usual monthly cycle, after which they may begin to notice that they’ve skip a period or more completely. Sometimes their period lasts longer than usual, or many times, begins to shorten as well. Menstrual flow may also become lighter or heavier than normal. Although these changes are normal when it comes to menopause, it is still always best to speak to a doctor about these new developments.
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