Post Menopause

Menopause is a very important and serious time in a woman’s life, and is basically the signaling of the end of menstruation. It is a normal change in a woman’s body, but can often be very physically and emotionally challenging.

The Changing Symptoms

Menopause usually takes place during a woman’s older years, at least after she is forty, although some women have experienced it even earlier than that. It is very important to remember that each woman’s experience is very personal and one woman’s experience of menopause may be very different from another, and this is absolutely normal.

Although there are a number of symptoms that are commonly associated with the condition, there are a few in particular which are especially common, one being irregular vaginal bleeding. Some women have minimal problems with abnormal bleeding during this time and then there are others who have unpredictable and often excessive bleeding. Hot flashes, vaginal drying, mood swings and even depression are other common symptoms of menopause.

Then there is a phase known as post menopause, which takes place after menopause. A woman is considered as being post menopausal when she has not had her period for a full year or more, and the best way of determining if you are actually going through post menopause is by having your doctor measure your follicle stimulating hormone level. This hormone is one that is produced by the pituitary gland and these levels can indicate whether or not you are still in menopause.

Many women experience even worse symptoms in post menopause than they did in actual menopause, and this includes cramps, bleeding, hot flashes, and night sweats. Usually this is not the case however, and most women actually feel a great sense of comfort and freedom during the final stage of menopause because they are no longer experiencing any of those horrific symptoms.

Post menopause begins with the final period and lasts for the rest of your life, and while any symptoms that you do experience should be gone within a few years, there are still other issues that you are going to have to think about, including the various health problems that are associated with low estrogen levels such as breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

It is important to see your doctor regularly throughout the entire time that you are going through the final stage of menopause, so that you can keep your health in check and get proper treatment if and when you need it.