Menopause is one of the most significant events in a woman’s life and brings in a number of physiological changes that affect the life of a woman permanently. There have been a lot of speculations about the symptoms that appear before, during and after the onset of menopause. These symptoms constitute the postmenopausal syndrome;
they are impairing to a great extent to the woman and management of these symptoms has become an important field of research lately. This chapter attempts to understand these symptoms, the underlying pathophysiology and the management options available.Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting in the loss of ovarian follicle development.
The age at menopause appears to be genetically determined and is unaffected by race, socioeconomic status, age at menarche, or number of prior ovulations. Factors that are toxic to the ovary often result in an earlier age of menopause; for example, women who smoke experience an earlier menopause, etc.
Women who have had surgery on their ovaries, or have had a hysterectomy, despite retention of their ovaries, may also experience early menopause.
