Menopause

Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstrual cycles associated with advancing age in women. The menopause is sometimes referred to as change of life or climacteric. The average onset of menopause is 51 years, but some women enter menopause at a younger age, especially if they have had cancer or another serious illness and undergone chemotherapy. Premature menopause is defined as menopause occurring before the age of 40, and occurs in 1% of women.

While menopause is a natural stage of life, some symptoms may be alleviated through medical treatments. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) provides the best relief, but certain forms appear to pose very significant health risks. Some drugs afford limited relief from hot flashes. A woman and her doctor should carefully review her symptoms and relative risk before determining whether the benefits of HRT or other therapies outweigh the risks. Until more becomes known, women who elect to use hormone replacement therapy are generally well advised to take the lowest effective dose of HRT for the shortest period of time possible, and to investigate whether certain forms may pose fewer dangers of clots or cancer than others.

...More at Wikipedia  

Related Links:

• The North American Menopause Society
• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

Recent Hope Cube Blog Entries For Menopause