It's still possible for you to get pregnant during this time. If you don't want to get pregnant, keep using birth control even if your periods are irregular. Some women have irregular periods for several years before their periods stop. Others have regular periods right up to the time of their last period. The hot flash is probably the best known sign of menopause.
Some women start getting hot flashes several years before their periods stop.
It may begin with a sudden tingling in the fingers, toes, cheeks, or ears. Sometimes only certain parts of your body get red or flushed. The most common parts of the body to get fully flushed are the face and the neck. Each hot flash can last from 30 seconds to five minutes. Some women go from feeling hot to feeling cold.