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Emma:
MENOPAUSE
The term "Menopause" means the last period. The average age of periods stopping is 51 years of age in the UK.

Periods stop naturally because ovaries run out of egg cells. The ovaries are then unable to produce the usual cycle of fluctuating levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone which are dependent on the cyclical development and release of eggs. With resultant low hormone levels, the womb lining is not stimulated to be thickened and then shed as in the normal cycle, and so periods stop.

Consequences of the menopause are due to  estrogen deficiency and can be divided into early, intermediate (vaginal and bladder) and late (bone and heart health)

Emma:
PREMATURE MENOPAUSE
Menopause can occur early and affects 1% of women under the age of 40, and 0.1% of women under the age of 30. Menopause under the age of 45 is known as early menopause and under the age of 40 as Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

Emma:
MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS
Menopausal symptoms are not just about flushes and sweats. Many women experience mood changes such as low mood, mood swings, tearfullness and anxiety. Talk about it, explain how you are feeling so that your family, friends and work colleagues understand.

You can experience Menopausal symptoms even if you are still having periods. The phase known as perimenopause is when hormonal levels fluctuate and can trigger a range of symptoms. See: perils of the perimenopause

Emma:
CONTRACEPTION

Contraception is still needed even after your periods stop; for another two years if periods stop under age 50, and for a further year if they stop after age 50.

No woman needs Contraception   after the age of 55. Even if still having periods then and so still having some ovarian function, it is believed that the egg quality will be very poor so that pregnancy is extremely unlikely to occur.

Emma:
MENOPAUSE DIAGNOSIS

Blood tests are not required, and indeed are not recommended, to diagnose perimenopause or menopause in women aged over 45 and are rarely useful in women aged 40 to 45, though can be considered in this age group. Diagnosis should be made by history of symptoms and period pattern

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