Understand Menopause and its 4 stages of healthy aging

Menopause marks the end of the female reproductive cycle, and it is a healthy sign of aging. Statistical data indicates women's suicidal rate has stepped up to 50% since the 20th century between the ages of 45-60 due to mental and physical disturbances, which occur in the view of hormonal imbalance during the menopause transition period. Biologically, menopause is not having the menstrual period for a year and it takes place around the age of 50.

The four stages of menopause are premenopause, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Premenopause occurs at the age of 40 when the menstrual cycle becomes irregular with no detectable symptoms of menopause. Then a transitional phase rises gradually, during which the symptoms of menopause become visible, known as the perimenopause stage - the onset of menopause. Initially, perimenopause occurs a few months to several years before menopause with symptoms like irregularity in menstrual flow, tender or swollen breasts, anxiety, depression, increased heartbeat, hot flashes, sleeping troubles along with night sweats, frequent urge to urinate, vaginal discomfort, and dryness, changes in growth and texture of hair, weight gain, severe mood swings, fatigue, etc. At the beginning of the perimenopause stage, estrogen levels fluctuate and give rise to severe hot flashes, an irregularity in the menstrual cycle, and increasing anxiety and depression. While in the end, estrogen levels drastically drop to prevent the release of eggs from the ovary. This phase is menopause, marking the end of the female reproductive cycle. After 12 months, when menopause symptoms tend to reduce, the last stage - Postmenopause occurs. The chief female hormones estrogen and progesterone are responsible for menopausal transitions at the end of the female reproductive phase.

Symptoms during premenopause usually disappear on their own, but symptoms during peri and post menopause require treatment based on severity. The primary symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance are blood clots during menstrual flow, spotting between the cycles, depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Neglecting these symptoms makes way for several other severe health complications like high blood pressure, anemia, and cancer. With the advancement in technology and science, these hormonal imbalances can be normalized by oral administration of estrogen-progesterone pills, topical application of gels, creams, and implantation of intrauterine devices.