Menopause

Menopause, the cessation of the menstrual cycle, is a natural part of aging in women. Defined as not having a period for at least a year, menopause occurs at an average age of 51, although onset can vary widely.

Similar to Menopause Symptoms

Other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to menopause symptoms include:

• Conditions that lead to an absence of the menstrual periods (amenorrhea), such as pregnancy, severe weight loss or gain, or excessive exercise.
• Emotional changes, such as stress, anxiety, or depression.
• Problems with other hormones, which can result from problems with the thyroid gland (underactive or overactive), problems with the pituitary gland, or polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Problems that can cause irregular bleeding. These include:
  • Irregular ovulation unrelated to an age-related drop in fertility.
  • Uterine fibroids, which are noncancerous growths in the uterus.
  • Endometrial polyps, which are another type of noncancerous growths in the uterus.
  • Endometrial hyperplasia, which is abnormal thickening of the lining of the uterus that can lead to uterine cancer if not treated.
  • Endometrial cancer, also known as uterine cancer.
  • Cervical cancer.