By Brigette Mars Menopause is the normal cycle of life where the menstrual cycles cease. It may occur quickly or take several years. Smoking cigarettes, illness and genetic tendencies can bring menopause on earlier.
Some women experience only the cessation of the menses without any other discomfort.
Ancient Greeks referred to menopause as a climacteric phase in life, when a woman takes another step up the evolutionary ladder. Menopause is not an illness, though it may bring about some discomfort. It can be an opportunity for assessment of our lives. During the five to ten years preceding the end of the menses, the ovaries become increasingly sensitive to gonadotropin hormonal signals. Immature follicles in the ovaries fail to mature, though there may still remain another 10,000 of them.