All About Menopause: Menopausal Symptoms, Age, Duration, And More

Medically reviewed by Dr. April Brewer, DBH, LPC
Updated October 15, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

Whether you realize it or not, hormones affect your life every day. The levels of different hormones in our bodies vary based on gender, age, and other lifestyle factors. Sometimes, hormonal shifts go entirely unnoticed. Other times, the changes can profoundly affect our bodies and moods. Menopause falls into the latter category.

Menopause affects all people with uteruses at some time in their lives. Still, many menstruating people do not fully understand what happens during menopause, and most men know even less about it. Read on to learn all about menopause.

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What is menopause?

Menopause is the point in time when a person who has a regularly functioning uterus has not had a period for 12 months. The changes that occur before this point are often referred to as “going through menopause,” but the process is actually called perimenopause or the menopausal transition.

The average age for menopause

The median age of menopause is 51. When menopause begins after a person is 45, it is considered a natural part of aging. However, some people experience early menopause before age 45 or premature menopause before age 40. Early or premature menopause is often caused by a medical procedure such as a hysterectomy or damage to the ovaries. Other causes of premature menopause include genetics and autoimmune disorders.

The stages of menopause

Natural menopause, menopause not brought on by any medical treatment, is a gradual process. Although many people want a clear answer to how long menopause lasts, it can vary significantly between people.

Menopause has three stages of varying durations.

  • Perimenopause: This stage can be considered pre-menopause, as it begins several years before a person enters menopause. In this stage, the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen but still release eggs. During the final year or two of perimenopause, the decrease in estrogen production rate quickens, and many people begin to experience symptoms of menopause. The frequency of menstruation will also decrease during this stage and will ultimately cease.
  • Menopause: After 12 months without her period, a person officially transitions from perimenopause to menopause. At this point, the ovaries are no longer releasing any eggs and have stopped making most of their estrogen.
  • Postmenopause: The years following menopause are known as postmenopause. At this time, symptoms of menopause significantly decrease for most people—however, health risks related to the loss of estrogen increase. During the postmenopausal years, people are more likely to experience conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Symptoms of menopause

Most people who go through menopause experience the majority of symptoms during the perimenopausal stage, when the most drastic hormonal changes occur. After reaching menopause, symptoms may continue for an average of four to five years, although they decrease in intensity. 

Throughout all the stages of menopause, the frequency, intensity, and duration of symptoms can vary significantly between different people. Some of the most common symptoms of menopause include:

Hot flashes and cold flashes

People may feel a sudden rush of heat in their heads and upper bodies. Hot flashes can last from seconds to several minutes or even longer. Some people experience hot flashes a few times a day, while others only a few times a month. After a hot flash, people may experience chills or shivering as their body cools down.

Night sweats

Hot flashes can cause night sweats if they occur during sleep. Often, night sweats can wake someone up and reduce their overall quality of sleep, making them feel more tired and groggy the next day.

Insomnia

In some cases, hot flashes and night sweats are so severe that they cause insomnia. Other menopausal people experience insomnia without hot flashes and night sweats. This is likely due to a hormonal change that causes them to feel more awake.

Emotional changes

The hormonal changes a person experiences during menopause can lead to symptoms like depression, irritability, and mood swings.

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Other symptoms of menopause

While these are the most common symptoms of menopause, they are not the only symptoms. Some people may experience additional symptoms such as headaches, muscle and joint pain, hair loss or thinning, trouble with focus or memory, or weight gain. As previously mentioned, the severity and frequency of menopause symptoms can vary dramatically between different people.

Coping with menopause symptoms

The experience of menopause will be different for each person. Still, it is a major change, and most experience some symptoms or may find it hard to adjust as their body transitions through menopause. Below are some suggestions on how to manage some of the symptoms of menopause.

Managing hot flashes

Many people experience hot flashes during menopause or find that their body is far more sensitive to temperature than it has been in the past. Some simple ways to help manage hot flashes include:

  • Dress in layers: Wearing layers and having a top layer you can easily remove can make it easier to cool down when you feel a hot flash coming on.
  • Drink plenty of water: One of the results of hot flashes is a lot of sweat. To replenish your body's water supply, increase your water intake if you have regular hot flashes. Drinking water following a hot flash can also help control your internal temperature.
  • Avoid hot or spicy foods: This can be tough if you have always been a spice lover, but eating hot or spicy foods can trigger a hot flash. If you struggle with hot flashes, it can help to avoid these foods until your menopause symptoms subside.
  • Deep breathing: Focus on taking slow, deep breaths when you feel a hot flash coming on. This breathing technique can lessen the severity of the episode.

Managing mood swings, irritability, and other emotional changes

If you are prone to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), you will likely experience similar symptoms while going through menopause. Even people who have never experienced PMS symptoms are at risk for emotional changes during menopause, like mood swings, depression, irritability, and increased sensitivity. While these symptoms may be less serious regarding physical health, they can still cause significant distress and disruption to one's life. If you are struggling with any of these emotional symptoms during menopause, you could try the following solutions:

  • Therapy: Mood swings, feelings of depression, and other emotional changes one may experience during menopause can be hard to adjust to. Many people feel they do not have anyone to talk to about the changes they are experiencing. If this is the case, or if you just want extra support, therapy can be a helpful resource. 
  • Exercise: Exercise is often mentioned as a natural way to relieve anxiety, depression, and stress—and for a good reason. Exercise causes your brain to release endorphins, which are hormones proven to improve mood. Walking, jogging, yoga, or going to the gym is also an excellent way to practice self-care and release stress.
  • Meditate: It can be hard to get into the habit of meditating, but once you do, it can work wonders for mood, stress, and anxiety. Start by trying short meditations (five minutes or less) and gradually increase the length or frequency of your meditations. A few minutes each day can keep you calm and your mood stable.

Managing memory problems

Most people experience a decline in memory function as they age. For people going through menopause, memory problems can seem to hit all at once. Experts believe it is related to decreased estrogen levels, not just aging. It can be highly frustrating to struggle to remember things. You can try these actions to better cope with this menopause symptom:

  • Eat well: A healthy diet fuels your entire body, including your brain. Focus on eating nutritious, whole foods that make you feel good to boost cognitive functioning. At the same time, you can cut down on alcohol, caffeine, and sugar to see if it helps with mental clarity.
  • Experiment with different strategies: You can implement many strategies to improve your memory. For example, you can use acronyms to remember street names or keep a notepad and pen with you to jot down reminders for things you worry you may forget.
  • Prioritize sleep: If you are struggling with insomnia during menopause, it could be making your memory problems worse. Sleep deprivation makes it more challenging to think clearly or function optimally. If you seek professional advice to target your insomnia, your memory may naturally improve when you get higher-quality sleep.
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Are menopause symptoms impacting your mental health?

Therapy for mental health concerns during the menopausal transition

If you need help dealing with menopause symptoms, research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with depression and anxiety during the menopausal transition and postmenopause. If you are looking for an alternative to traditional therapy, consider online treatment with a licensed therapist.

Finding mental health support online

Online therapy has many benefits over in-person treatment. With online therapy, you don’t have to worry about finding a local therapist with available appointments, commuting to an office, or being put on a waiting list. When you sign up for online treatment, you’re matched with a therapist who can help you begin treatment right away. Once you’re matched with a therapist on BetterHelp, you can message them through the platform 24/7, and they will get back to you as soon as possible. You can conduct meetings via video call, voice call, or chat wherever you have an internet connection.

Additionally, research shows that online therapy is effective. In fact, a meta-analysis of 17 studies found that online CBT may be even more effective at treating depression than in-person treatment and that participants were equally as satisfied with online therapy as with in-person treatment. 

Takeaway

The transition to menopause is unique for every person, but for many, the physical and emotional symptoms can feel challenging. There are simple strategies for managing hot flashes or mood swings, but it can be helpful to seek advice from your doctor or a counselor. If you want help working through anxiety or depression related to menopause or simply want to process this transition, online therapy through BetterHelp can offer the support you need.
Understand how menopause impacts the body and mind
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