The first period becomes noticeable during puberty and then disappears again with the menopause. The key word here is: menopause . One in three menstruating people feels Menopause no different than before. However, there are also people who have experienced many different Symptoms that cause a real mess in the body. These can be hot flashes, dizziness or sleep disorders. In this blog post you will learn everything you need to know about the menopause; from the definition to the onset to the first signs and symptoms.

Let's start with the basics. Menopause and perimenopause are one and the same, right? Not quite. 

As menopause or climacteric are the years before and after the last period. They mark the change from the fertile phase to the infertile phase, in which pregnancy is no longer possible. During the fertile period, an egg cell matures in a follicle within a cycle, which is then released in the ovulation phase, with ovulation. Would you like to learn more about ovulation? Then read  here  Check out our blog post about it!
The number of eggs in each ovary is already determined from birth - in girls this is around 400,000 eggs. With each cycle and each ovulation the number of eggs decreases and the supply of eggs runs out after about 30 years. With menopause the hormones also change. Menopause is therefore a completely normal process in the life of a menstruating person. 

But what does the term “menopause” mean? Menopause is made up of the Greek “meno” for month and “pausis” which means “end”. Perhaps you can already deduce from this what the term means and where the difference lies from the menopause. In fact, the menopause is solely the  last period in the life of a menstruating person. This makes menopause a part of the overall menopausal process.

During menopause, a number of changes occur. There is usually no common thread in menopause - it varies from person to person, at least in terms of age and symptoms. But we will come to that later. The first signs of menopause are  Cycle fluctuations . Often these are not noticed at first and therefore not interpreted as signs of menopause. After all, cycle fluctuations can occur from time to time for various reasons. Stress is one of the main causes here. Would you like to find out more about the effects of stress on the cycle? Then get here more information about this. 

Doctors divide the menopause into  four phases Premenopause, perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. 

-   Premenopause : It refers to the period of menopause before menopause occurs. 
-   Perimenopause : This refers to the year before and after menopause.
-   menopause : Menopause is the time when your last period occurs. If you have not had a period for at least twelve months, then you are in menopause.

-   Postmenopause : This phase begins when 12 months have passed since the last period. Like menopause, it is over when there are no more symptoms associated with it. 

For most menstruating people, menopause and the change in hormones begin with  Mid 40s How long this period will last cannot be determined in advance. However, on average  five to eight years  can be assumed. For example, a study by the Robert Koch Institute in 2020 found that almost half of women aged 50 and over who visited a gynecological practice still had their period. If menopause begins before the age of 41, it is referred to as premature menopause.

From the mid-40s, the production of the female sex hormone estrogen in the body slowly stops. This change in hormones causes menstruation to become more irregular until it finally stops and menopause begins. Menopause usually begins at an age  between 50 and 55 years .

Did you know? Menstruating people can still get pregnant even if they have already started menopause. However, this is no longer possible after a year has passed since the last period. 

You may now be wondering what the effects of menopause are. Menopause itself can bring with it various changes and complaints and thus have many faces. In connection with the symptoms of menopause, the Rule of thirds It states that a third of all people in the menopause do not notice anything at all, a third experience mild to moderate symptoms and a third struggle with symptoms that have a greater impact on their well-being. Then again, there are peoples in the world who are completely unaware of menopausal symptoms. For example, Mayan women, Bantu women in South Africa and Indian women of the Rajput caste. 
So you see, the effects and changes in the body during menopause can vary from person to person. 

But why do menopausal symptoms occur in the first place? This is because at the beginning of menopause, the hormone levels of progesterone and estrogen in the body drop. This can also cause the so-called Menopause symptoms enter.We have compiled a list of what these could be, for example:

Sleep disorders or insomnia 

This symptom can occur due to a drop in the level of progesterone in the body. Progesterone relaxes the nerves and psyche and thus has a positive effect on sleep and deep sleep.

Irregular or absent bleeding 

In general, menstruation during menopause occurs at shorter and then longer intervals. Light spotting and intermenstrual bleeding are also not uncommon. If you notice these, we recommend our  Daily Collection The products are suitable for a light and fading period, among other things. This means that they are also suitable for Spotting and intermenstrual bleeding an absolute game changer. 

Hot flashes and sweating 
 
Hot flashes are considered the number one symptom of menopause. The exact cause of this has not yet been discovered. It is assumed that this is caused by a dysregulation of body temperature in the brain or the autonomic nervous system. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are regulated during menopause, have a very important function in the body: temperature regulation. 

Mood swings and depression 

During menopause, psychological symptoms such as depression can also become noticeable. This means that not only physical but also psychological health can suffer. Did you know that around 20 percent of all affected people develop psychological symptoms during menopause? These symptoms also include panic attacks, restlessness or difficulty concentrating. The hormone progesterone also has a hand in this. It ensures that neurotransmitters are produced in the brain that influence mood. If the progesterone level drops, psychological symptoms can become noticeable. 

As we explained above, menopause can be announced by various symptoms. Overall, it is a gradual process. But how can you test and be sure that you are already in menopause? To make sure that your symptoms are related to the onset of menopause, your doctor can prescribe a Hormone testing or carry out hormone measurements. Your blood will be tested for the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). If ovarian function decreases, the level of FSH increases significantly. The level of the hormone estrogen is then lower.
There are various online Self-tests that you can use to find out whether you are likely to be entering menopause. However, these are no substitute for a medical examination.