Causes of Menopause

Menopause is the end of menstruation. The word comes from the Greek mens, meaning monthly, and pausis, meaning cessation. Menopause is part of a woman's natural aging process when her ovaries produce lower levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and when she is no longer able to become pregnant.
Unlike a womans first menstruation, which starts on a single day, the changes leading up to menopause happen over several years. The average age for menopause is 52. But menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56.

Causes
Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
Once menopause is complete (called postmenopause), you can no longer become pregnant.
The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. As the ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these hormones and the body responds accordingly. The specific symptoms you experience and how significant (mild, moderate, or severe) varies from woman to woman.

Symptoms
A woman can experience a variety of menopause symptoms, which occur during the perimenopause stage, including:
hot flashes and night sweats
depression
mood swings
dry skin and hair
anxiety
insomnia
weight gain
vaginal dryness
bone density loss
Heart disease risk increases after menopause, although it is unclear exactly how much is due to aging and how much is caused by the hormonal changes that occur at the time of menopause. Women who undergo premature menopause or have their ovaries removed surgically at an early age are at an increased risk of heart disease.

Medical and Natural Treatments
Hot flashes and night sweats: triggered by heavy blankets, caffeine, alcohol, hot water. Dressing in light layers can alleviate hot flashes and night sweats; avoiding caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods can also minimize these symptoms, as can deep breathing

Insomnia: characterized by fatigue, irritability, waking up during the night, trouble falling asleep, cognitive impairment and decreased memory. Natural treatments for insomnia include: valerian, hops, passion flower and dong quai, all of which are sedative herbs. Vitamin B6 is also helpful because it produces serotonin; exercising during the day, avoiding alcohol, avoiding caffeine before bedtime, relaxing before going to bed (for example, taking a bath) and sleeping in a dark room can also help

Depression and mood swings: characterized by a decreased interest in life, fatigue, loss of appetite, thoughts of suicide and talk of death. St. Johns wort, magnesium, a vitamin B complex and exercise can help minimize these menopausal symptoms

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