Worrying about menopause and feeling unprepared? You’re in the right place. It’s normal to want to know exactly what’s going to happen. Asking our friends or Mothers about their experience is one thing, but everyone’s menopause journeys are different.
What Age Will I go Through Menopause?
There is no definitive age that women go through menopause. Each and every one of our bodies are different. Some women will experience a much earlier or later menopause than others. As a rough guideline, most women will reach menopause between 45 and 55. With the average age coming in at 52. If you started your menstrual cycle later in life this does not necessarily mean you will also become menopausal later in life. Some women will, unfortunately, experience menopause as early as their late 30’s and some as late as their 60’s.
Before you reach menopause you will go through perimenopause, which is usually the months or few years before you are officially classed as menopausal. During this time you will still have periods but they are likely to become sporadic and irregular.
How Long Does Menopause Last?
It’s not easy to predict the duration of menopause, again something you will come to learn is that menopause varies massively from woman to woman. The possible time-frame is quite wide, typically ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Unfortunately, symptoms that span across perimenopause, menopause and even post-menopause can last up to a decade, or in some cases even longer.
If you’re using the LaBalance device to manage symptoms throughout both perimenopause and menopause please take note: LaBalance maintains its full power for at least 5 years. If you’ve had your device for longer than this time we recommend replacing it for optimal results.
How Will I Know I am Definitely in Menopause?
You are medically classed as menopausal when you have had twelve consecutive months without a period. In the months or even years leading up to menopause, you might experience sporadic bleeds and go many months in between cycles. Nethertheless you are still classed as perimenopausal until you have crossed the 12 months in a row without a bleed.
What Symptoms Will I Experience?
This is not a straightforward answer. We can tell you what the most common symptoms of menopause are, but we can’t say which ones you will or won’t experience. It doesn’t matter if your Mother or sister had specific symptoms, that’s not to say you will do too. This is a common misconception; many women assume if their Mother had an easy or difficult ride, they will be the same. It’s simply not the case and merely a coincidence if you find this to be true.
The five most common symptoms of menopause are:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Low libido
If you have any more questions about menopause you might find the answer you’re looking for on our ‘menopause advice’ section. Alternatively, we might have answered your queries in one of our blog posts. For questions specific to LaBalance please visit our Q&A page.