Commonly known as the "change of life," it is the period in a woman's life when her reproductive capacity ceases, the ovaries ceasing to mature ova and to render them capable of fertilization, in addition, it also stop producing the hormones estrogen.

It is a biological transition, in which, all woman will experience in her 40s to 50s. The most obvious phenomenon is the cessation of menstruation. The duration of this transition period varies from person to person and the changes may go on gradually for 10-15 years.

Just as the commencement of ovarian activity during puberty is diagnosed from the first menstruation, it is customary to diagnose the beginning of "the change," at a suitable age, from the most obvious phenomenon, the gradual or sudden cessation of menstruation. However, the end of menstruation is not a wholly correct conclusion and it is not the only symptom.

There is no predicting your own menopause may be long or short, bumpy or smooth. Nor can you foresee the time when you will begin it.

Some women may be able to rely on their mother's history as foreshadowing, but it does not always follow that a daughter's menopause mimics her mother's pattern. Your mother may have had a hysterectomy, in which case you have no precedent for the timing of a natural menopause, which usually happens around age 40s.

before age of 45, is also not uncommon and may take by surprise a woman who's been trying to conceive. Women who have been amenorrheic (without menstrual periods) because of over exercising or anorexia nervosa may be dealing with the same issue of estrogens depletion that a 50 year old menopausal woman is.

Replacing estrogen becomes more important because of the extended number of years without it. So the issues of women who are going through a natural menopause often align with concerns of those younger women who are already dealing with the consequences of hormone loss.

Due to decreasing and imbalance of female sex hormone, it gives rise to some discomfort to the female body. It is difficult to establish that the period of change in all cases precedes old age, as the transition often reaches into old age. It marks the commencement of the ageing of the entire body, and particularly of the genital organs. Whenever and however menopausal changes appear, it can be valuable to have information beforehand, and while you're experiencing menopause.

Studies have shown that women who are prepared to take charge of their own health care tend to do best through the menopausal passage. Information can function as your survival kit as you negotiate your way through this very important change in your life.

Statistical investigations of menopause have provided us with some information concerning the average age of the menopause. Thus a considerable mount of clinical material has been sifted with a view to establishing the commencement, duration and cessation of menstruation. The average age was 47.25 years which tallies with the general view that the change in our latitudes usually takes place between the ages of 45 and 50.

1. 3.65% of cases at the age of 40 years.
2. 20.5% of cases at the age of 40 to 44 years.
3. 44.19 % of cases at the age of 45 to 49 years.
4. 30.01 % of cases at the age of 50 to 54 years.
5. 1.64 % of cases at the age of 55 to 57 years.

It is also observed the occurrence of the climax between the ages of forty-five and fifty in 54.15 per cent of cases; in 18 per cent. of the cases the menopause occurred later, in 34.85 per cent before the age of forty-five. The average age for the first menstruation in Europe is fourteen and for the cessation of the menses, around forty-six year. However, the normal range of fluctuation in respect of menstruation is from the tenth to the twenty-first year, and in respect of the menopause, from the thirty-sixth to the fifty-sixth year.