Understanding Menopause
Find out what menopause is, when it happens and exactly what people can expect as they enter this phase.
Hot flushes. Mood swings. ‘The change.’ If any of these terms sound familiar (or strike fear into your heart), take a breath. While it’s historically been shrouded in mystery and stigma, menopause is a perfectly normal, natural stage of life for most women.
We spoke to GP Dr Leigh Exelby to find out more about menopause – what it is, when it happens and exactly what people can expect as they enter this phase.
Defining menopause
Quite simply, menopause refers to the time when people stop having their monthly period. “A woman is considered to be in menopause once they have had a 12-month time period without any vaginal bleeding or spotting,” explains Leigh. Along with an end to menstruation, this time also indicates the end of ovulation and a woman’s reproductive cycle.
While some people experience premature menopause (before age 40) and early menopause (from age 40-45), “it’s common for women to reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years,” adds Leigh, “although the average age for women in Australia is 51 to 52.
How to know you’ve started menopause
While there isn’t a specific test for menopause, your doctor can help you determine if you are menopausal according to things like the frequency of your periods and any symptoms you are experiencing. “As a woman moves through menopause, the oestrogen and progesterone levels change dramatically,” explains Leigh. “This brings a range of symptoms, including anxiety, opens in a new tab and mood changes.”
It’s important to note that not all women experience all of these symptoms – and in fact, one in five experiences no symptoms at all.
A menopause timeline
So how long can you expect the entire process of menopause to last? As with so many aspects of health, everyone is different. “The period of time from perimenopause to menopause is roughly four to six years, although it varies from person to person and can range from a few months up to 10 years in some cases,” says Leigh. The process begins with perimenopause, menopause occurs at the final period, and post-menopause starts after a 12-month period with no menstruation.
The stages leading up to menopause
The time leading up to menopause, known as perimenopause, is when your ovaries slow down and begin to gradually run out of eggs. Levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate, which can cause irregular periods (longer or shorter, lighter or heavier). You may also notice some symptoms of menopause.
What happens to your body during menopause
Menopause officially begins at your final period, meaning the ovaries are no longer producing eggs. During menopause, many women experience symptoms such as changes to menstrual cycles (such as frequency and heaviness), hot flushes and night sweats, mood swings, lowered sex drive, headaches, opens in a new tab and sleep, opens in a new tab disturbances, sore breasts and weight gain, vaginal dryness, difficulty with concentration, opens in a new tab and memory, low energy, itchy or dry skin and sore muscles and joints.
While the ovaries continue to produce oestrogen after menopause, it’s at much lower levels.
Is it something to be concerned about or is it normal?
Menopause is a completely normal and natural part of life. “It is certainly not something that women need to be worried about, and if significant symptoms are being felt, then there are good treatment options now available to help transition through this period of your life,” says Leigh.
What to expect when menopause ends
Menopause doesn’t last forever and according to Leigh, there are upsides to going through ‘the change’ as well as things to watch out for once a woman becomes postmenopausal.
“First of all, they will no longer get their period (which, for many women, can be a bonus),” she says.
Menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes, may lessen or even disappear altogether. However, “it’s also the time to start looking at things that are impacted by a decrease in hormones in the body, such as bone strength, cardiovascular risk, opens in a new tab and weight gain”, she adds.
Lowered levels of oestrogen after menopause can also affect bladder health and some vulval and vaginal symptoms may persist after menopause, so it’s important to continue regular health checks and speak to your GP or healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
At the end of the day, menopause is a completely natural and normal process that doesn’t need to be scary.
“Although it seems that going through menopause is a big life event, for many women it simply happens and does not cause them any issues,” shares Leigh. “However, if this is something that concerns you, it is worth discussing further with your GP.”
Please note: The tips throughout this article serve as broad information and should not replace any advice you have been given by your medical practitioner.
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Dr Leigh Exelby
Dr Leigh Exelby is a Queensland-based GP who specialises in women’s health, fertility and children’s health. Her path to medicine was far from conventional, having studied music and business administration and holding down roles in media and marketing before eventually enrolling in medical school. After graduating from Bond University with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Leigh worked in several hospitals before moving into general practice. Leigh has performed in musicals across Australia and the UK, and rates Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal as her favourite song for dancing.