Cells in the vagina, bladder, breasts, skin, bones, arteries, heart, liver, and brain all contain estrogen receptors, and require this hormone to stimulate these The menopausal period is different for each individual woman. Some start earlier and some later, but the average age at menopause is about fifty. The transition usually lasts up to five years. A woman who undergoes a hysterectomy but who keeps at least one of her ovaries stops menstruating after surgery, but she will still go through menopause. If the ovaries are removed during hysterectomy, menopause occurs suddenly, and symptoms may be more severe.
Some women go through menopause with few or no noticeable symptoms.
However, many women experience short-term or acute symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, anxiety, depression, poor libido, bladder problems, vaginal dryness and itching, burning and discomfort during sexual intercourse, breast tenderness, dryness and aging of the skin, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and insomnia. All of these symptoms are due to estrogen and progesterone deficiency. Over the long term, the diminished supply of estrogen increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and vaginal atrophy. Osteoporosis in particular is a major problem for women after menopause. An estimated 80 percent of the 250,000 hip fractures that occur in the United States every year are due to osteoporosis.