Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether. Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.Once menopause is complete (called postmenopause), you can no longer become pregnant.

The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. As the ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these hormones and the body responds accordingly. Although some women breeze through menopause, others experience mood changes, hot flashes, sweats and sometimes migraine.  

In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it tapers off. During this time, your menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 to 3 years before menstruation finally ends.

How to cope with it?

·        Realize that you may have headaches, perhaps even a migraine. Hormonal changes, may cause constriction of the blood vessels in your forehead.

·        Prepare yourself for night sweats' hot flashes that occurs when you are sleeping. They are more common than hot flashes during the day.

·        Get enough calcium. A woman going through menopause needs 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium a day. Remember that vitamin D (or exposure to sunshine) helps your body absorb calcium.

·        Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which contain an abundance of vitamins B 6 and B 12, folic acid and certain antioxidants. These can help women through menopause and ease the aging process.

·        Be aware that as female hormone production declines, you are at increased risk for heart disease and osteoporosis. Get a periodic bone-density test as well as cholesterol and blood-pressure screening.