If a young woman is physically active and eating right, she's likely to be healthy-and her weight will usually take care of itself. Offer accurate, thorough sex information. Besides providing a thorough physical checkup, the appointment is an appropriate time to discuss safe sex practices including abstinence. Remember that every experience is unique. While the average age of beginning menopause is 51, some women first experience symptoms in their late 30s or early 40s.
Some symptoms can be bothersome for years or last for a few months.
The most effective approach is to be attentive to your own body, then talk with your health care provider about how to respond. Many menopausal symptoms are related to the body's inability to maintain production levels of the hormone estrogen. That's for each woman to decide, but more women over age 50 die from the complications of heart disease, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis than breast cancer. Some women find relief from menopausal symptoms through herbal remedies that contain these same hormones. As a result, we don't know if they offer the same degree of protection against heart disease and osteoporosis.