Menopause is defined as occurring when a woman has had no menstrual period for 12 months in a row.
Most women start to experience the early symptoms of menopause between 40 and 50 years old, with 95% of women experiencing menopause after the age of 45.
Estrogens are hormones made by a woman’s ovaries and are necessary for normal sexual development and the regulation of menstrual periods during the childbearing years. The ovaries normally stop making estrogens when a woman is between 45 and 55 years old. This drop in estrogen levels marks the beginning of menopause (the end of monthly menstrual periods).
When estrogen levels begin dropping, some women develop very uncomfortable symptoms, such as feelings of warmth in the face, neck, and chest, or sudden intense episodes of heat and sweating (“hot flashes”) as well as vaginal symptoms.
After menopause, estrogen levels drop, often causing vaginal walls to become dry and thin.
This condition is called vaginal atrophy. As a result, you may experience:
Before menopause
Healthy vaginal tissue
After menopause
Vaginal wall tissue becomes thin and dry
In some women, the symptoms of menopause, including vaginal atrophy and pain during intercourse, are mild; in others, they can be severe. These symptoms may last a few months or longer.