A woman is in menopause when it is at least one year since the last menstruation. It coincides with the end of feminine fertility and is a normal stage in each woman's life. It is not a disease, although sometimes it has negative consequences on physics, solvable only with pharmacological treatments.

We talk about menopause when the ovaries cease to produce estrogen, the reproductive hormones. It is a process that may be more or less long depending on the woman. Even the period following the last menstruation has a variable duration and thus the symptoms. While in some cases change is almost imperceptible, in others it has very important consequences on everyday life.

Physiological menopause occurs between the ages of 48 and 52, although there may be cases of early menopause. The most obvious symptoms, apart from cessation of the cycle, are the hot flashes and redistribution of body fat. However, the fluctuation and decline in estrogen levels have consequences also on the psychological side. In fact, there are frequent changes in mood, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, and loss of libido.
Diagnostic tests are available to diagnose menopause. The appearance of symptoms is enough in most cases to signal the big change coming. However, a visit from the specialist is needed to break any doubts and to define a clear clinical picture.

Today, menopause is not avoidable, but you can prepare yourself to deal with it as painfully as possible. In view of change, it is good to adopt a healthy lifestyle: increasing physical activity and reducing calories fight weight gain. Since hormonal loss leads to an increase in cardiovascular risk, it is also recommended to stop smoking.