Menopause Summary Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman’s ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. Changes and symptoms can start several years earlier. They include A change in periods – shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, with more or less time in between Hot flashes and/or night sweats Trouble sleeping Vaginal dryness Mood swings Trouble focusing Less hair on head, more on face Some symptoms require treatment. Talk to your doctor about how to best manage menopause. Make sure the doctor knows your medical history and your family medical history. This includes whether you are at risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, or breast cancer. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health National Institute on Aging Encyclopedia Aging changes in the female reproductive system Luteinizing hormone (LH) blood test Treatments and Therapies Alternative Medicine for Menopause Hormone Health Network Bioidentical Hormones and Menopause Hormone Health Network Black Cohosh National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Is it Safe to Take Hormones to Treat Menopause Symptoms? Array MedlinePlus: Hormone Replacement Therapy National Library of Medicine Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Menopause Food and Drug Administration Menopause: Medicines to Help You Food and Drug Administration Menopause: Symptom Relief and Treatments Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Soy National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Time to Talk: 4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health What Are the Treatments for Other Symptoms of Menopause? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development What Can You Do for Hot Flashes and Other Menopausal Symptoms National Institute on Aging Related Issues Burning Mouth Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Diabetes and Menopause: A Twin Challenge Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Menopause and Bone Loss Hormone Health Network Menopause and Heart Disease American Heart Association Menopause and High Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Menopause Weight Gain: Stop the Middle Age Spread Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists What You Should Know about Your Reproductive Time Span North American Menopause Society Array Cancer treatment — early menopause Deciding about hormone therapy Menopause Types of hormone therapy Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hot Flashes National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Menopause National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Premenopause National Institutes of Health Specifics Early Menopause (Premature Menopause) Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Perimenopause Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Postmenopausal Health Concerns National Institute on Aging Postmenopause Hormone Health Network Diagnosis and Tests Estrogen Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Hot Flashes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Signs of the Menopausal Transition National Institute on Aging Vaginal Atrophy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Vaginal Dryness Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Living With Exercising after Menopause American Osteopathic Association Menopause and Mental Health Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Staying Healthy National Institute on Aging Find an Expert Find an Endocrinologist Hormone Health Network Hormone Health Network Hormone Health Network National Institute on Aging National Institute on Aging womenshealth.gov Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Statistics and Research Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Mystified by Menopause? A Major Life Transition National Institutes of Health Patient Handouts Menopause National Institute on Aging Start Here Menopause American Academy of Family Physicians Menopause Hormone Health Network Menopause National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Menopause Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Menopause National Institute on Aging Menopause 101: A Primer for the Perimenopausal North American Menopause Society Menopause: Time for a Change National Institute on Aging Health Check Tools Menopause Map Hormone Health Network NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Menopause Symptoms Menopause Treatments Menopause: Every Experience is Different Staying Healthy After Menopause Understanding and Managing Menopause Journal Articles Menopause Premature menopause Symptoms What Are the Symptoms of Menopause? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
