How Many Years Does Menopause Last?

If you are dealing with the symptoms of menopause, you are sure to have asked yourself this question more than a few times. The answer is a little more complicated than you might expect.

The duration of menopause is affected by several different factors and varies from person to person. Typically coming on at about 45-50 years of age, menopause is the process by which the body begins to phase out menstrual cycles and alter the level of estrogen and progesterone made in the body.

Generally it’s accompanied by a wide range of symptoms that affect the woman for the duration of the process.

First it begins with peri-menopause, a process during which the body begins to experience the symptoms most commonly associated with the process of menopause.

While most women don’t have peri-menopause until their forties, for some the process begins in their late 30s. This is when night sweats, hot and cold flashes, mood swings and a thinning cycle begin. Though for some women these symptoms can be less obvious.

Pregnancy is still possible in this phase as long as some sort of cycles occurs and most women experience cycles for the first four years. Peri-menopause is considered over when you’ve gone for 12 months without having a cycle.

True menopause begins once the 12 month menstruation free period has occurred. The length of time it takes to complete menopause depends on several factors such as diet, genetics, health, lifestyle, and level of activity.

Menopause is as personal as the menstrual cycle and puberty itself are, making the time it takes to complete highly unpredictable.

By most estimates the majority of symptoms and the process itself takes from 2 to 10 years to complete but for some symptoms like hot flashes can last on into their 70s.

Overall most of the more troublesome symptoms should be over with by the time the first few years have passed.

You’ll note that stress plays a part in the length of time menopause takes. This means that its best if a woman going through menopause has a calm and understanding environment in which to live and deal with these symptoms.

The less stress she deals with the less likelihood there is that mood shifts caused by stress will exacerbate and even worsen her symptoms possibly even lengthening the duration of time it will take her to be through menopause.

If friends and family are able to work with her and behave in a fashion that helps let her know they will work with her through this, she’s much more likely to come through smoothly.

A good, nutritious diet that includes healthy foods such as lean meats, veggies and fruits and low in fats, sugars and caffeine will also help benefit a woman’s health and wellbeing.

Nourishing your mental and emotional health is also important.

Maintaining healthy and intimate relationships and keeping the mind active through various intellectual endeavors will help keep you focused and reduce some of the problems associated with menopause such as forgetfulness and word or name flubs.

In other words, menopause passes in its own good time and will be aided by you putting your best food forward and living your life to the fullest.

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