Healthy Living 
The female reproductive system becomes active from the age of eleven to thirteen years. This is marked by the start of their menstruation cycles which occur regularly with an interval of twenty eight days. When women grow old, menstruation cycles become irregular and gradually vanish. This menstruation ending phase is termed as menopause. It generally occurs at the age of forty five to fifty years and also depends on the genes, environment and health of women.
Four stages of menopause
Menopause is a gradual process and occurs in four different transition stages. Each stage overlaps the previous and future stage.
Premenstrual
Is the general life period in a woman's life from the start of menstruation cycles till they stop. It starts at the age of eleven to thirteen and lasts for around 35 years.
Peri-menopause
The phase just before the end of menstruation cycles is called perimenopause. It generally starts at the age of 45 to 50 and can last for 2 to 10 years. Perimenopause marks the start of changes in female hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, FSH and LH. The balance between these hormones is responsible for regular menstruation cycles. In perimenopause the balance between these starts fluctuating leading to irregularities in menstrual periods.
Menopause
This is the main and last stage when female hormones decrease to very low levels and stop performing their functions. Due to which ovaries cannot produce eggs and women are not able to reproduce. Menopause occurs when a women does not experience menstruation for one year.
Post-menopause
A woman stays in this phase for the rest of her life. Postmenopause occurs after menopause when menopause symptoms begin to decrease. It may take a year or two for complete disappearance of menopause symptoms. There are no more menstrual cycles but women have higher risks of health problems due to low hormonal levels.
Symptoms of menopause
These symptoms may include mood swings, irritability, hot flashes, sudden tears, dry vagina, anxiety, weight gain etc. Women also become prone to urinary tract infections and also feel trouble holding in their urine. Menopause symptoms management should be done after proper advice from personal doctor.
All the mentioned stages of menopause and their accompanying symptoms are natural. Women should try to adapt to the changes and continue to live healthy throughout.
