When menopause happens on its own (natural menopause), it’s a normal part of aging. Menopause is defined as a complete year without
menstrual bleeding, in the absence of any surgery or medical condition that may cause bleeding to stop such as hormonal birth control,
radiation therapy or surgical removal of your ovaries.
As you age, your reproductive cycle begins to slow down and prepares to stop. This cycle has been continuously functioning since puberty. As menopause nears, your ovaries make less of a hormone called estrogen. When this decrease occurs, your menstrual cycle (period) starts to change. It can become irregular and then stop.
Physical changes can also happen as your body adapts to different levels of hormones. The symptoms you experience during each stage of menopause (perimenopause, menopause and
postmenopause) are all part of your body’s adjustment to these changes.
