What exactly is menopause and when does it start?

Menopause is like crossing a finish line. Or flipping a switch. It is a point in time. We go from having regular periods (cycling) to irregular periods with symptoms (perimenopause). In Canada, the average age of menopause is 51.

You’ve officially reached menopause 12 consecutive months after your last period. Phew. Every day after is post-menopause.

With over 30 symptoms each journey is unique, like a fingerprint. And like puberty, it has its own timeline and degree of difficulty. Some will skate through without feeling much. Others will be a hot mess. For some, it will last a few months. Others, years. You won’t know exactly at what age these menopause disruptions will arrive, but you can learn what to look out for.

What exactly is menopause and when does it start?

Menopause is like crossing a finish line. Or flipping a switch. It is a point in time. We go from having regular periods (cycling) to irregular periods with symptoms (perimenopause). In Canada, the average age of menopause is 51.

You’ve officially reached menopause 12 consecutive months after your last period. Phew. Every day after is post-menopause.

With over 30 symptoms each journey is unique, like a fingerprint. And like puberty, it has its own timeline and degree of difficulty. Some will skate through without feeling much. Others will be a hot mess. For some, it will last a few months. Others, years. You won’t know exactly at what age these menopause disruptions will arrive, but you can learn what to look out for.

PERIMENOPAUSE

Average Age

late 30s to early 50s

How Long it Lasts

4 – 8 years on average, some continue for several more years

Treatment Options

  • lifestyle changes

    • nutrition
    • exercise
    • meditation
  • supplements
  • HRT
Typical Symptoms
Typical Symptoms

  • changes in period
    • longer or shorter
    • heavier or lighter
  • hot flashes
  • night sweats
  • sleep disturbances
  • mood change
    • irritability
    • depression
    • mood swings
  • vaginal dryness
  • weight gain
  • brain fog
  • difficulty remembering

PERIMENOPAUSE

Average Age Range

late 30s to early 50s

How Long it Lasts

4 to 8 years on average, some continue for several more years

Treatment Options

  • lifestyle changes

    • nutrition
    • exercise
    • meditation
  • supplements
  • HRT
Typical Symptoms
Typical Symptoms

  • changes in period
    • longer or shorter
    • heavier or lighter
  • hot flashes
  • night sweats
  • sleep disturbances
  • mood change
    • irritability
    • depression
    • mood swings
  • vaginal dryness
  • weight gain
  • brain fog
  • difficulty remembering

MENOPAUSE

(a one day event)

we reach menopause 12 months after our last period, with an average age of 51
we reach menopause 12 months after our last period

MENOPAUSE

(a one day event)

we reach menopause 12 months after our last period
we reach menopause 12 months after our last period

POSTMENOPAUSE

Average Age Range

late 40s to 60s

How Long it Lasts

you are in post-menopause for the rest of your life

Treatment Options

  • lifestyle changes
    • nutrition
    • exercise
    • meditation
  • supplements
  • limited options for HRT 10 years post menopause or after 60 years old

Risk

decrease in estrogen can increase risk for heart disease and osteoporosis, and we need to protect bone, brain, vaginal, bladder and heart health

Typical Symptoms
Typical Symptoms

any perimenopause symptoms +

  • dryer eyes, mouth, hair and skin
  • vaginal issues
    • atrophy
    • vulva/vaginal dryness
  • pelvic organ prolaps
  • pain with penetrative sex
  • low sexual desire
  • incontinence
  • UTI

POSTMENOPAUSE

Average Age Range

late 40S to 60s

How Long it Lasts

you are in post-menopause for the rest of your life

Treatment Options

  • lifestyle changes
    • nutrition
    • exercise
    • meditation
  • supplements
  • limited options for HRT 10 years post menopause or after 60 years old

Risk

decrease in estrogen can increase risk for heart disease and osteoporosis, and we need to protect bone, brain, vaginal, bladder and heart health

Typical Symptoms
Typical Symptoms

any perimenopause symptoms +

  • dryer eyes, mouth, hair and skin
  • vaginal issues
    • atrophy
    • vulva and vaginal dryness
  • pelvic organ prolaps
  • pain with penetrative sex
  • low sexual desire
  • incontinence
  • UTI

Menopausal Journey Symptoms

95% of women experience menopause after the age of 45. What are the symptoms? It’s different for everyone. Many are often overlooked or dismissed. Here are the most common ones to look out for – click on a symptom to read more.

You can also read more about symptoms and ways to treat them in our blog Help a Sister Out.

Menopausal Journey Symptoms

95% of women experience menopause after the age of 45. What are the symptoms? It’s different for everyone. Many are often overlooked or dismissed. Here are the most common ones to look out for – hover your curser over a symptom to read more.

You can also read more about symptoms and ways to treat them in our blog Help a Sister Out.

Woman's arms folded across her chest with illustration of electric bolt to signify breast tenderness

Breast Tenderness

Breast Tenderness

Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause can cause breast tenderness, burning, sharp or throbbing pain

Up close image of woman in underwear with an illustration of torso with a leafless tree signifying vaginal dryness.

Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal Dryness

A decline in estradiol (a type of estrogen) causes the tissues of the vagina to shrink and become thinner causing dryness and inflammation.

Woman awake in bed sweating from being too hot with illustration of moon and water drops signifying night sweats

Night Sweats

Night Sweats

Night sweats are hot flashes at night which can cause you to wake in a pool of sweat, and interfere with sleep. Sleep disturbance can contribute to irritability and fatigue.

Woman holding hands to face and cannot sleep with illustration of digital clock showing 3:30am

Trouble Sleeping

Trouble Sleeping

Disrupted sleep can be caused by being woken up drenched from night sweats. Some simply wake too early and cannot fall back asleep contributing to irritability and fatigue.

Person scratching their back with illustration of dryness symbolizing itchy skin

Itchy Skin

Itchy Skin

Collagen helps maintain the strength and elasticity of the skin. And estrogen stimulates the production of collagen. Reduced estrogen during post-menopause can cause the skin to become drier and thinner, making it feel itchy.

Woman having difficulty concentrating.

Difficulty Concentrating

Difficulty Concentrating

Difficulty concentrating is a typical symptom during perimenopause and often coupled with short-term memory problems.  What was I saying again?

Photo of person from knees down standing on bathroom scale with illustration of upward arrows signifying weight gain

Weight Gain

Weight Gain

A slowing metabolism and decrease in lean body mass caused by aging and being less active contribute to weight gain during midlife. There is no scientific evidence menopause or HRT is the cause of weight gain during menopause.

Woman shouting with illustration of hand holding up the middle finger

Moody/Irritable

Moody/Irritable

Most common during perimenopause when hormone levels are fluctuating. Changes happening can be stressful and cause mood swings (laughing one minute and crying the next) and can be heightened from disrupted sleep.

Woman holding up hand to stop with illustration of a heart wrapped in barbed wire signifying menopause and intercourse pain

Painful Sex

Painful Sex

Vaginal atrophy (the drying and thinning of vaginal tissue) can cause vaginal dryness and irritation, making sexual intercourse unpleasant or painful. Sometimes impossible.

Woman holding hand to forehead with illustration of cloud over eyebrow signalling brain fog.

Brain Fog

Brain Fog

With the depletion of estradiol, an ovarian hormone, memory performance and the regulation of memory function change as a result explaining brain fog and losing your train of thought.

Two people in bed with backs to each other and illustration of a flaming heart with downward arrow signalling low libido

Low Libido

Low Libido

Decrease in estrogen, age-related changes in circulation that may reduce blood flow to the genitals and cause decrease sensation, vaginal dryness or thinning that can make sex painful, and interrupted sleep that can make you too tired – all contribute to a decreased sex drive.

Perspective: sitting and looking down at underwear below knees with dry maxi pad with “?” illustrating irregular periods

Irregular Periods

Irregular Period

This is an early sign of perimenopause. Periods, once regular, no longer have a pattern. The cycle can be shorter. The bleeding can be heavier or lighter. You could miss many months and then have a regular period again.

Woman's flawless skin with illustration of a cracking overlay to signify dry skin.
Dry Skin

Dry Skin

Decreased levels of estrogen result in thinning skin making it drier and less resilient. Collagen which also helps with skin resilience and elasticity declines by 30% during the first 5 years of menopause.

Woman pulling shirt away from body with an illustration of a fan symbolizing hot flashes
Hot Flashes

Hot flashes

Hot flashes (aka vasomotor symptoms) are very common. A sudden wave of heat, sweating, reddening of the skin and rapid heartbeat can last 1-5 minutes, and is often followed by a cold chill.

Woman holding head in hand and an illustration overlay of a dying battery signalling fatigue
Fatigue

Fatigue

Low sleep quality as a result of night sweats or hormonal fluctuations can be a distressing and sometimes debilitating menopause symptom. #ineedanap

Woman holding head in hands while leaning back onto a couch with illustration of a hammer to signify a headache
Headache

Headache

Headaches or migraines may be more frequent during perimenopause as a result of a dip in estrogen. This can be similar if you experience headaches before a period.

Photo back of woman's head with hands in long dark hair with illustration of brush having hair stands to signify hair loss
Thinning Hair

Thinning hair

Hair loss can occur as a result of ovarian hormonal fluctuations. These ups and downs can cause hair follicles to shrink, meaning hair grows slower and sheds easier.

Image of a fingernail with a crack
Brittle Nails

Brittle Nails

A reduction in keratin production during the menopause transition and post-menopause can lead to brittle, weak nails that can break easily or crack.

Need help navigating your menopausal symptoms?

Need help navigating your menopausal symptoms?