Every woman’s question as they experience the signs and symptoms of pre menopause, also known as perimenopause, is how long does menopause last? Truly, perimenopause symptoms can be a very devastating and tiring point in a woman’s life. Common symptoms like hot flashes, anxiety, palpitations, and menstrual pains can be very stressing, and affects one’s daily activities. The symptoms can also be sources of other complications, if these are not addressed properly.

Women may have different timeframes in terms of experiencing the symptoms of menopause. Most of the time, factors such as lifestyle, diet, and family history contribute to the duration of how long menopause lasts. Usually, perimenopause can last up to eight years, and generally speaking, women begin to experience menopausal symptoms at the age of forty. Most symptoms are the heaviest five years from the first time the symptoms manifest themselves. Many claim that the most critical years are between two to five years of pre menopause period.

Women will actually have different body cycles and behaviors on pre menopause symptoms. Some might begin to experience the first signs at an earlier age, say around thirty five years old, while some might have it at a later age, around forty five years old and above. Given that fact, the common question of how long does menopause last may not have a finite answer. Instead, a general duration of two to eight years is advised.

Lifestyle greatly affects the duration of menopausal period. A healthy way of living will help in dealing with the distress of some symptoms. Women should not overstress themselves, as this may elevate the severity of some symptoms, such as hot flashes and anxiety. Try to maintain a well-balanced diet and get a doctor’s advice as to what diet plan will serve best as you go through this stage in life.

Here are some items that you can add to your diet plan that will affect the duration of menopause:

•             Eat tofu and soy

•             Eat beans more often (unless you have arthritis)

•             Take more fruits and vegetables

•             Carefully choose the beverages that you drink

•             Make sure to drink at least eight glasses of water each day

•             Eat foods that are rich in calcium

•             Avoid high-fat and high-sugar foods

 

Proper exercise will help in easing the symptoms of menopause. A good workout is a great way to reduce the stress and tension brought by the symptoms of menopause. Yoga is one good body workout that is beneficial for the female body. You may also try other exercises that will focus on strengthening the bones, as women going through the menopausal stage cannot absorb all the calcium they need from their food intake. Stress reduction programs are also offered to help women address their stress and anxiety. Exercise boosts an individual’s mood; therefore, whether you are experiencing pre menopause symptoms recently, or have been doing so for years, you will still be able to cope well with a positive attitude towards it.

Additional vitamins and food supplements may be required for women undergoing pre menopause symptoms. As the body ages, it cannot metabolize and distribute all the nutrients in the entire body efficiently. Women concerned on how long does menopause last might need the following vitamins and nutritional supplements to avoid further complexities.

•             Vitamin B complex

•             Vitamin C complex

•             Vitamin E complex

•             Coral calcium

•             Goji Juice

•             Antioxidants like green tea

•             Gingko Biloba

•             Ginseng

One great factor that also affects the duration of menopause is genetics. Women will likely undergo menopause at the same age as, manifest the same symptoms as, and suffer through the same duration of menopause as their mother. Things like these are inherited to the parents most of the time. So, if your mother experienced pre menopause signs at the age of forty, you are likely to have it around that age as well. If your mother has a history of long suffering from the menopause symptoms, you are likely to experience the same things.

Although some factors may be inherited, you should not forget that the conditions can be improved, especially if you do something about it.

Women that have heavy flows during their menstrual periods are said to have a longer menopause stage as well. Conversely, women that have lighter menstrual periods suffer for a shorter time. In the same manner, women who happen to experience the signs at an early age might suffer a longer period, since menopause generally take place around the age of fifty.

In cases where women suffer a longer duration of menopause, it is important for them to have a considerate and understanding environment. Women in the menopausal stage tend to have plenty of mood swings. This is understandable, however, because of:

•             the way they are feeling due to:

•             The hormonal imbalances they are experiencing

These ladies will sometimes be irritable, even over small things. They can experience panic attacks and anxieties. It would be best if the people around them can try to understand that this kind of condition is not an easy thing to deal with, and should be met with compassion, understanding, and a positive attitude.

As previously mentioned, natural menopause occurs at the age of fifty. And it doesn’t end there: once the final menopausal period occurs, post menopausal symptoms can still be experienced. Usually, these symptoms are the same as the pre menopause symptoms, and may last from one to two years. If you are going to combine the duration of pre menopausal and post menopausal symptoms, you will have around ten years of discomfort to deal with.

It does not matter what age you begin to experience the signs of menopause, or whether you find out the answer to the question of how long does menopause last. What is important is that you must ready yourself for the fact that menopause is approaching in your life. There are several things that can be done to ease the burden. Just remember that menopause is not a disease or an impairment. It just means that you are beginning a new chapter in your life.