How long does menopause last?

Hot flashes, fatigue, weight gain, gloom… Suffice it to say straight away that no woman can’t wait to be menopausal. Faced with symptoms that disrupt daily well-being, we all want to know how long it will last? “We say that we are in menopause when we no longer have periods for 12 consecutive months.“, immediately reminds us of Dr Sandrine Guinebretière, gynecologist-obstetrician at the Santé Atlantique clinic in Saint Herblain. Menopause generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51.

87% of women have at least one symptom following the permanent cessation of their periods and 20 to 25% suffer from disorders that alter their quality of life. Hot flashes and night sweats are considered the main symptoms of menopause, which can also be associated with sleep and mood disorders, as well as a decrease in cognitive functions, showed a study published in 2005 The majority of these so-called “vasomotor” symptoms persist less than 7 years after the last period, but 25% of women can continue to have hot flashes for a period of up to 10 years, and 10% more. beyond 10 years, again according to research.

Traditionally, vasomotor symptoms begin 5 to 10 years before the end of the last menstrual cycle, which corresponds to the “premenopause” period. “It is a period during which a woman’s body begins to undergo significant hormonal changes, notably due to the gradual decrease in the production of estrogen by the ovaries, continues the gynecologist. Menstrual cycles become irregular, with variations in the frequency and intensity of periods which can become very bleeding and sometimes painful.”

The symptoms of menopause vary between women: some can remain discreet, others can be unpleasant and very embarrassing. “It is important to explain to women what menopause is and the associated risks, recalls our interlocutor. It is not because they do not have functional signs that they do not have the risk of osteoporosis or of increasing cardiovascular diseases.“At this stage of life, it is important to continue to receive medical supervision from a gynecologist, a GP, a midwife… “Often at menopause, we lose sight of these patients, even though they may have a risk of unknown pathology.”