Have you ever wondered how the ovaries work when a woman ages? It is commonly thought that the human biology clock will be lost the longer that it is left alone and unused. This reduces the time frame that a woman is able to conceive and start a family of her own. It is a strange thought that the body changes something which has been with Women since birth. But due to the hormonal changes in estrogen caused by aging, the eggs reduce in quality making it harder for a woman to fall pregnant. Conceiving a child, pregnancy and giving birth are considered to be important milestones in a person’s life which is why it is such a heavily spoken about topic for women worldwide.

When Do Women Experience Menopause?

The age that a woman is most likely to experience decreased levels of estrogen is between the ages of 40 to 61. In some rare cases a woman can go through Menopause in her 20s and 30s which can come as an extreme shock especially if they are unaware that this can occur. It is often said that you are able to predict the time frame you go through menopause by asking other members of your family when it had happened to them and what they had experienced.

Perimenopause

A couple of years before women go through menopause, they go through perimenopause. There are various symptoms that a women may experience which includes more frequent periods, periods which go for longer or shorter amounts of time and there are also changes in how much menstrual flow is experienced. The harshness of the symptoms differs between person to person.

Menopause

The final step of ovarian ageing is referred to as menopause, when the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones finally drop to an all-time low the woman’s body stops releasing eggs from the ovaries. A person experiencing menopause may then begin to experience symptoms like mood swings, hot flashes, issues with sleeping, short term memory loss, vaginal tightness, vaginal dryness, lower levels of arousal, loss of strength in the pelvic floor muscles, loss of bladder control and menstruation will stop completely. After you have experienced a complete year without any signs of a period, you are then able to stop taking birth control.

The side effects do not stop there, with lower hormonal levels you will become more likely to experience yeast infections. The labia may be more likely to become irritated and the vaginal wall will thin out which can cause pain during penetrative sex. It is recommended for people who experience pain to invest in a personal lubricant. Menopause can become quite a stressful moment especially when there are so many things going on.

Tests That Assess The Stages Of Menopause

Women are also able to assess whether they are going through a stage of menopause by using the Greene Menopause Index which is also known as the Greene Climateric Scale. This test will take a person through 21 different questions where you have to assess your symptom to whether what you are experiencing is non-existent, mild, moderate or severe. After you finish the report it will give you an outline of what you could be going through. Two other methods of rating whether you are going through menopause include the Menopause Rating Scale and the Cervantes Scale which are both similar to the Greene Climateric Scale.

Treatment Methods

Women who are seeking various treatment methods are recommended to seek professional help from their general practitioner. The doctor may prescribe the application of a vaginal moisturiser or the use of topical estrogen. Topical estrogen will help create thicker vaginal tissue and increase the moisture in that area. They are also able to perform blood tests, urine tests and ultra sounds to analyse your hormone levels and egg quality. The doctor may also give you a referral to seek help from a specialist.

Some people seek treatment of the symptoms of menopause by hormone therapy which include the use of estrogen and progesterone. In 2002 Women’s Health had reported that in older patients there was an increase in heart attacks, breast cancer and stroke. This had led to a major research findings by the Million Women Study which had found the same increased risks for older patients, this study ultimately lead to the reduce use of this medical treatment method.

If My Biological Clock Is Ticking! Why Don’t I Just Freeze My Ovaries?

Before a person reaches menopause, some women may choose to freeze their ovaries so that they are able to have a child and have a loving family at a later time in their life though the financial costing of these services can be quite expensive. This is especially the case if they are going through issues with their health, if they feel that their biological clock is ticking away or they cannot have children due to other financial, relationship or career issues. One method of freezing the ovaries is known as Vitrification. Vitrification takes the egg and cools it with liquid nitrogen in a solution that doesn’t form ice crystals to prevent any damage occurring to the specimen.

Some people turn to the fertility awareness method as a way to schedule their lifestyles so they are able to possibly fall pregnant. Menopause and all the symptoms that come with it, can cause quite a stressful moment in a person’s life. It is important to remember that it is a natural process and you should speak to a professional if you have any other questions.