What is menopause?

Menopause is the end of menstruation. The word comes from the Greek mens, meaning monthly, and pausis, meaning cessation. Menopause is part of a woman's natural aging process when her ovaries produce lower levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and when she is no longer able to become pregnant.

Unlike a woman’s first menstruation, which starts on a single day, the changes leading up to menopause happen over several years. The average age for menopause is 52. But menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56.

A woman can say she has begun her menopause when she has not had a period for a full year.

What is ‘perimenopause’?

‘Perimenopause’ refers to the several years before menopause when a woman may begin experiencing the first signs of her menopausal transition. But many people use the term ‘menopause’ for both the perimenopausal years as well as the few years following menopause.

What are the signs of menopause?

Menopause is a natural process that happens to every woman as she grows older, and is not a medical problem, disease or illness. Still, some women may have a hard time because of the changes in hormone levels during menopause.

There are many possible signs of menopause and each woman feels them differently. Most women have no or few menopausal symptoms while some women have many moderate or severe symptoms.

The clearest signs of the start of menopause are irregular periods (when periods come closer together or further apart), and when blood flow becomes lighter or heavier.

Other signs may include some of the following:

• weight gain;

• hot flashes;

• insomnia;

• night sweats;

• vaginal dryness;

• joint pain;

• fatigue;

• short-term memory problems;

• bowel upset;

• dry eyes;

• itchy skin;

• mood swings; and

• urinary tract infections.

What is "induced" menopause?

"Induced", "sudden" or "surgical" menopause happens when a woman goes through an immediate and premature menopause. This occurs when her ovaries no longer produce the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

This may be caused by:

• surgery to remove your ovaries;

• chemotherapy;

• radiation treatment; or

• ovarian malfunction.

Women going through induced menopause may have more severe menopausal symptoms, and are usually treated with hormone therapy.

There is a lot that can be done to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of Menopause and balance the system through Touch Healing especially if menopause has been induced.

You can contact Rev. Tracy L. Parker at  Rev_Tracy_Parker@yahoo.com