Menopause FAQ
Rebecca Hulem, "The Menopause Expert" answers
your questions
Q. What are the symptoms of perimenopause?
A. The most common
symptoms are the following: irregular periods, mood swings, difficulty getting
to sleep, decrease energy, fuzzy thinking, heart palpitations and occasional
hot flashes.
Q. Is there a blood
test that I can take to determine if I am in menopause?
A. In years past a
blood test called the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) was drawn to determine
if a woman was in menopause. However, studies and experience have shown that
testing the FSH levels in a woman who has not gone one full year without a
period, is of no significant value. FSH levels will fluctuate dramatically from
one month to the other until periods have stopped.
Q. What is menopause?
A. Menopause is the
end of menstruation and the end of childbearing years. You are not considered
to have reached menopause until you have gone one full year without any
bleeding or spotting.
Q. What is the
average age of menopause?
A. In the western
world the average age is 51.4 years. Early menopause is defined as any woman
who has completely stopped menstruating by the age of 40. Late menopause would
be after the age of 55.
Q. What are the
symptoms of menopause?
A. The most common
symptoms are: absence of menstrual periods, hot flashes, night sweats,
difficulty staying asleep, depression, memory changes, decrease libido and
vaginal dryness.
Q. How long do
menopausal symptoms last?
A. It varies from
woman to woman. The majority of symptoms can last anywhere from six months to
two years. Some women have complained of experiencing hot flashes occasionally
for the rest of their life. This is the minority.
