What Is the Typical Menopause Age?

Menopause is a natural part of the aging process and is the time when women stop their active menstrual cycles and are no longer able to become pregnant.   Although most women don’t start menopause until their early 50s, there is no “typical” time of their life when this occurs.  Some women can begin menopause as early as their 30s or 40s, while others may not go through it until their late 50s or 60s. 

The beginning period of menopause is called transition or peri-menopause.  This process can take from two to five years to complete and normally starts for women in their late 30s or early 40s.  Peri-menopause causes the hormones to fluctuate from higher to lower levels and the woman’s menstrual cycle will become erratic.    Peri-menopause and menopause can cause symptoms that some find to be almost unbearable.   None of the symptoms are life-threatening, but they are very uncomfortable for many women.  Some of these symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, a decrease in sex drive, increased urination, painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness, bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis, and increased risks for heart disease.  Many of these symptoms occur because of the drop in estrogen in menopausal women. It is important for women to know that it is still possible to become pregnant during the peri-menopausal stage.

When a woman has gone a year without a menstrual cycle, this is when most doctors will determine that menopause is complete and the post-menopausal stage.  At this time, her ovaries have completely stopped producing estradiol and progesterone and she will no longer produce eggs or have the ability to become pregnant.  

Although menopause is a natural part of a woman’s aging process, menopause can also be caused by other factors such as surgical removal of the ovaries.   This is normally accomplished through a hysterectomy or because of ovarian cancer. 

Many of the symptoms associated with menopause can be alleviated through a healthy diet, exercise, quitting smoking or using over the counter medicines.  Many women with severe symptoms may be relieved by starting a hormone replacement therapy.  It is important to know that while the hormone therapy will alleviate the symptoms there are some severe side effects that may be worse than the original symptoms.  Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), blood clots, cancer of the uterus or endometrial tissue, or heart disease are some of the more severe side effects.