- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
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- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
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- Diabetic Diet
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- How to Prevent Diabetes
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- Abortion
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- Breast Reconstruction
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- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
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- Endometriosis
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- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
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- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
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- Premenstrual Syndrome
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- Prenatal Testing
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- Child Nutrition
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- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
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- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
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- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
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- Stuttering
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
Treatments and Therapies
- 4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Black Cohosh National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? National Institute on Aging
- Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Menopause Treatment Endocrine Society
- Soy National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- What Are the Treatments for Other Symptoms of Menopause? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Start Here
- About Menopause Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Menopause Food and Drug Administration
- Menopause Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
- Menopause 101: A Primer for the Perimenopausal North American Menopause Society
- What Is Menopause? National Institute on Aging
Encyclopedia
- Aging changes in the female reproductive system Medical Encyclopedia
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) blood test Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test National Library of Medicine
- Estrogen Levels Test National Library of Medicine
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test National Library of Medicine
- Hot Flashes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Vaginal Atrophy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
Related Issues
- Burning Mouth Syndrome National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Menopause and Bone Loss Endocrine Society
- 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
- Sexual Health and Menopause North American Menopause Society
- What You Should Know about Your Reproductive Time Span North American Menopause Society
Patient Handouts
- Cancer treatment — early menopause Medical Encyclopedia
- Deciding about hormone therapy Medical Encyclopedia
- Menopause Medical Encyclopedia
- Types of hormone therapy Medical Encyclopedia
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hot Flashes National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Menopause National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Premenopause National Institutes of Health
Find an Expert
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
- Find an Endocrinologist Endocrine Society
- National Institute on Aging National Institute on Aging
Specifics
- Early or Premature Menopause Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
- Menopause and You: Postmenopause Endocrine Society
- Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding after Menopause American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Perimenopause Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Living With
- Fitness Tips for Menopause: Why Fitness Counts Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Preparing for Menopause: A Woman’s Midlife Change National Institutes of Health
Statistics and Research
- Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Videos and Tutorials
- Menopause Endocrine Society
- What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause? National Institute on Aging
- What is Menopause National Institute on Aging
Health Check Tools
- Menopause Map Endocrine Society
Journal Articles
Symptoms
- What Are the Symptoms of Menopause? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development