Menopause Symptoms - How Long Menopause Symptoms Last?

Menopause is experienced differently by everyone who goes through it. No two women will experience it in exactly the same way. However, some women have a harder time dealing with the symptoms, which can include irregular periods, hot flashes, heart palpitations, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, tension in the muscles and joints, memory lapses, dizziness, and mental confusion, among others. Many of these symptoms begin during the perimenopause phase, which can occur as early as a woman's thirties, but often do not take place until after a woman turns forty. Because the symptoms can be unpleasant, most women want to know how long menopause symptoms last.

Perimenopause Phase

Beginning with the perimenopause phase, menopause symptoms can begin. This phase has been known to last for a decade or longer before menopause is actually complete. In fact, ten years is not an unusual time period for this phase of life. The symptoms of this phase, however, do not often become noticeable until a woman reaches her mid to late forties. At this point, it is likely she is troubled by at least a few bothersome symptoms.

End of Menopause Phase

A woman is said to have finished menopause when she has gone a full year without a menstrual period or any menstrual spotting. Therefore, menopausal symptoms can be said to last from the perimenopausal period until menstruation has stopped for a full year. The average age for a woman to have completed menopause is age 51. Symptoms can end at around this time, but for some women they also continue for some time after menopause has officially been reached. The length of a woman's menopause symptoms will often depend on how long her perimenopause phase is. The average phase will last four years, but as indicated above, this period can be ten years or longer.

To answer the women who want to know how long menopause symptoms last, in general it can be said that these symptoms will last four years. However, a woman's symptoms may not be troubling to her during that entire time.

Conclusion

What determines how long menopause symptoms last? Many factors can determine this. A woman's genetic makeup, eating and exercise tendencies, stress levels and general lifestyle and health can affect how long these symptoms last. A woman who has more stress in her life and has a poor diet is more likely to have a longer perimenopausal period, because menopause is likely to begin earlier in these women, and, consequently, the signs of menopause will show up earlier. It is also true that a woman who does not live a healthy lifestyle or who does not exercise may have more trouble with menopause symptoms. In general, women who take care of themselves are more likely to have easier transitions and to be less bothered by menopause symptoms. Though it can be difficult to determine how long menopause symptoms last, women who do not want to experience multiple unpleasant symptoms should make sure they take care of their health as best they can now.