Menopause (‘Meno’ means mon- th and ‘Pause’ means stop) is a normal transitional stage in the life of women where monthly period stops and hormones which support feminity start depleting. Menopause is a natural part of aging and marks the end of the female fertile reproductive years. Menopause occurs when 12 consecutive months pass without a menstrual period. Menopause typically occurs in late 40s to early 50s. However, people who have their ovaries surgically removed will undergo "sudden" surgical menopase. Reducing levels of female hormones made in the ovaries such as estrogen and progesterone, leads to symptoms of menopause. Since the life expectancy of women has increased, they spend more than one third of their lifetime in menopause, which is a normal physiological event.
Cause
As women grow older, their ovarian follicles diminish in number. There is a decline in granulosa cells of the ovary, which are the main producers of estro gen. As estrogen production reduces, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) production increases. The decline in estrogen levels disrupts the hypothalamic - pituitary - ovarian (HPO) axis. As a result, a failure of endometrial development occurs causing irregular menstrual cycles, until they stop altogether. Menopause may occur due to surgical removal of uterus and ovaries. It also occur by the treatment for certain conditions, like endometriosis and breast cancer with antiestrogens, and other cancers due to chemotherapy.
-- Yoga for women
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