Menopause age is such a mystery to a lot of women. There are facts stating the average lengths and other related measurements for the occurrence of menopause and its symptoms. However, there is no exact length of menopause that can be considered as a normal value for everybody. What the researchers can only provide women with are ranges for specific lengths associated with menopause. It is very important to learn about the different facts linked with menopause. Through these facts, it will be easier for you to adjust with the possibilities and to prepare for everything that is expected to happen during the menopausal period.
How Long Does Menopause Last?
There have been studies conducted around the globe showing the average lengths of menopausal period in women. In fact, a lot of women usually ask about how long does menopause last. Some women are even worried about it. You should know that you are not alone in this situation because millions of other women are also asking the same question. What really is the normal length of menopause? When does menopause start?
These questions actually can branch out to other sub-questions. There is no definite age as to when menopause would start. And you would get a similar answer as to the length of your menopausal journey. Let's put it this way. Since there are 3 stages of menopause, it would be best to talk about the lengths of each stage so you can see the bigger picture. The perimenopausal stage often lasts for few months up to several years. The actual menopause is known to last for 5 to 10 years at an average length. As for the postmenopausal stage, it can last as long as the woman shall live. Imagine having menopause at a younger age. If this happens, you will surely have a longer menopausal journey. If the onset of your menopause started at a later age, then the length would be shorter in that case.
Factors Affecting the Length of Menopause
The length of menopause is strongly linked with genetics. If your mother, aunts, and grandmothers had longer menopausal period, then you will probably experience the same length as they did. If they all had shorter menopause experience, then you are likely to have menopause in a shorter span. Aside from genetics, the length of menopause could also depend on which ethnic group you belong in. According to studies, Hispanic and African-American groups have the longest menopausal periods. Asians, specifically Japanese and Chinese have the shortest. Most Caucasian women fall in between.
Lifestyle practices also play a great role in the onset and the length of menopause in women. Experts have found out that smoking can cause damages to the ovaries. This would further lead to imbalances in the hormonal levels and would eventually cause earlier and longer menopause. Even if your mother, grandmother and aunts had shorter menopausal periods, you can get longer and earlier menopause experience if you smoke.
There are times when menopause happens following a surgical operation. Some women will need to have both of their ovaries removed secondary to specific medical conditions. If only one ovary is removed and the other ovary is highly functional, then menstruation can still occur. However, when both ovaries are removed, menstruation stop immediately after the surgery. Even if the woman still has her uterus, she will not be able to get monthly menstruation without her ovaries.
When both uterus and the two sets of ovaries are removed, it will start the onset of menopause. Confusion on the onset of menopause comes in when the ovaries and uterus are removed separately. The removal of only the uterus has a different effect on the actual onset of menopause. In hysterectomy or the removal of the uterus, a woman with highly functional set of ovaries will still be able to produce hormones estrogen and progesterone. Even though menstruation is stopped in an instant, menopause has not begun, yet.
For women who have had removal of the uterus but with ovaries still intact, they will still experience the symptoms of menopause as they age. However, professionals found out that women who had this kind of procedure are more likely to experience menopause at an earlier age. Therefore, these women will have longer menopausal journey.
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