Menopause is a natural part of aging that marks the end of the female reproductive years but many people dont know what to expect until theyre in the midst of it. Did you know, for example, that you could experience symptoms up to a decade before menopause actually begins?

Menopause specialistPelin Batur, MD, walks us through the stages of menopause and what you may be able to expect during each one.

The menopause process is all about hormones. Your body begins to produce less of the hormone calledestrogen, which regulates your menstrual cycle, and your ovaries start running low on eggs. But it doesnt happen all at once.

Heres a quick overview of the three stages of menopause:

Dr. Batur explains each stage in greater detail, including the symptoms you might experience andhow to find relief.

You can think about perimenopause as the runway to the big event. It can start as early as a decade before menopause, though the average amount of time spent in perimenopause is four years.

During this time, your body is, little by little, winding down its naturalovulation process. The most common sign of perimenopause isirregular periods and menstrual cycles.

As your estrogen levels start to decrease, your periods and menstrual cycles may start getting a little wonky sometimes, closer together, sometimes skipping cycles, Dr. Batur explains. You may also have some of the typical menopausal symptoms.

Not everyone experiences noticeable symptoms during perimenopause, but they can include:

There are two stages to perimenopause early menopause transition and late menopause transition though theyre not always cut-and-dry and distinguishable from one another.

This first stage of perimenopause is the very beginning when your body is just starting to experience hormonal changes. During this time, your periods and menstrual cycles are still coming regularly, but you may notice other symptoms:

This is a natural phase of life, so if your symptoms are mild, you may be able to make do with lifestyle changes like getting more sleep and upping your cardio, Dr. Batur says. But if theyre really bothersome, speak to your healthcare provider, even if youre still having regular menstrual cycles.

The late menopause transition is when youre gettinga little closer to menopause. Youre more likely to start experiencing irregular periods and menstrual cycles.

During perimenopause, youre not ovulating as regularly, Dr. Batur says. You have up-and-down levels of estrogen, and you may not make progesterone as consistently, so you may skip a menstrual cycle and then have heavy bleeding during the next period because your uterine lining has thickened up from the impact of the estrogen.

Eventually, as you get closer and closer to menopause, you start skipping periods for months at a time, she continues.

If this happens, bring it up with your healthcare provider especially if youre in your early 40s or younger, which can be a sign ofpremature menopauseor a condition calledprimary ovarian insufficiency.

When youve gone a full 12 months without having your period, youve entered menopause (assuming you havent stopped bleeding because of another medical condition or a medication).

That typically happens around age 52, Dr. Batur shares, and then, you live the rest of your life in menopause, where youre no longer ovulating and you no longer have the ability to bear children.

Menopause symptoms typically last for seven to 10 years (though your timeframe may vary), and they can range from mild to severe. If youre in the latter camp, experiencing bothersome symptoms that you just cant shake, dont feel like you have to soldier on in silence.

Just saying, grin and bear it and eat healthier and lose some weight doesnt cut it for people who are really suffering during this time in their lives, Dr. Batur states. Your healthcare provider will also want to make sure that your symptoms arent related to other medical conditions.

Once you enter menopause, youre in menopause for the rest of your life; this is also called the postmenopause stage.

But now, youre at a higher risk for other health concerns. A decrease in estrogen is a risk factor in conditions like:

The older you get, the more tuned in your healthcare provider should be to menopauses impact on your health. But if theyre not bringing it up, you definitely should even if youre feeling fine, but especially if youre not.

The stages of menopause shouldnt make you feel miserable. If your symptoms are especially bothersome and having an impact on your quality of life, its time to ask for help.

Tell your Ob/Gyn or your primary care doctor, Hey listen, I think my hormones are going haywire, Dr. Batur advises. They can talk you through the options, which may include any of the following (or a combination of them):

Just remember: Theres no quick fix for the symptoms of menopause. If you raise concerns about themduring an annual visit, your healthcare provider may ask you to come back for another appointment so the two of you can go more in-depth about what youre experiencing and thats OK.

This is a very individual thing, and it can be very complicated, especially depending on your medical history, Dr. Batur says. Schedule another appointment, if you need it, and make sure your concerns are being addressed during dedicated time with your provider.

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What To Expect in Each Stage of Menopause - Health Essentials

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