What is the average age to go through menopause

While many people go through menopause in their early fifties, there are a number of unique factors that determine at what age a person will start menopause, as well as what their experience will be like. Here is what you might be able to expect at different ages. Perimenopause and menopause do not generally start when you are in your thirties. However, after age 35, egg quality generally declines, and you may have a lower reserve of eggs. Fertility begins to decrease around age 32, then more rapidly at age While this is not the start of menopause, it is the start of your body beginning to change.

At birth, a person with ovaries has around one million egg cells. By puberty, they have , to , By age 37, approximately 25, remain.

Some people go through menopause in their thirties. When this happens, it is known as premature menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency. Symptoms of premature menopause are the same as those that occur during menopause. During premature menopause you may experience:. Irregular periods, amenorrhea , and other menopause symptoms can also be signs of other health conditions, like hormonal problems, uterine problems, or an infection.

Premature menopause may have a medical cause, but it can also be spontaneous with no known cause. Some factors that can lead to premature menopause include:. In your forties, your fertility continues to decline. By age 45, fertility has declined so much that it is unlikely that you will get pregnant without assistance. In addition, as a person ages, their remaining eggs are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes, which increases the risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities.

It also makes having multiples more likely. The average age of perimenopause onset is During perimenopause, estrogen declines, which can cause a variety of symptoms. Symptoms of perimenopause may include:. Until you have gone 12 months without having a period, it is still possible that you could ovulate. People going through perimenopause may still get pregnant, so it is important to continue to use contraception if you do not wish to become pregnant. The average age of menopause for people in the United States is Menopause is defined as 12 concurrent months without having a menstrual cycle.

In the time leading up to menopause perimenopause , you may have irregular periods or skip periods entirely. However, if your periods resume, you have not yet entered menopause. Once you have not had a period for an entire year, you can assume that you are no longer ovulating, and therefore no longer be able to become pregnant. The symptoms of menopause are the same as perimenopause, except that you no longer have a period.

Some people find that symptoms like hot flashes ease as they enter postmenopause—the period following 12 months without a menstrual cycle. However, some symptoms can become more pronounced postmenopause. Postmenopausal symptoms can include:. Certain factors may affect when you begin menopause. Your family history, medical conditions, and hormones all play a role in when menopause is likely to occur for you. Smoking may influence the age of menopause onset. Studies have found that smoking during the reproductive years was significantly associated with earlier menopause.

Family history and genetic factors play a role in when you may begin menopause and may also predict which symptoms you will experience. A study in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society found that the age at which people began menopause was affected by multiple genes. If you have surgery to remove your ovaries oophorectomy , you will experience menopause immediately because the organs that produce hormones and release eggs are no longer present.

Menopause that occurs from the absence of ovaries is known as surgical menopause. Conditions like endometriosis, tumors, and cancer may require a person to have their ovaries removed. People who have an oophorectomy will experience typical menopause symptoms; however, rather than having them come on gradually as they would with natural menopause, they will experience them all at once, which can be intense.

Hormone replacement therapies can be used to treat menopause symptoms. However, hormone therapy is not recommended for people being treated for breast cancer, as it may increase the risk of recurrence. Radiation to the pelvic area can cause the ovaries to stop working, leading to sudden menopause.

People who receive smaller doses of radiation may find that their ovaries begin to function again with time. Chemotherapy can also damage the ovaries. Menopause can occur immediately or months later. The risk of menopause depends on the type of chemotherapy a person receives and the dose that is given. Sudden menopause from chemotherapy is less likely to occur in younger people.

Treatment options after medical menopause include hormone therapy, vaginal estrogen, antidepressants, lubricants , and medicine for bone loss. Getting exercise, enough sleep, and dressing in layers can also help manage symptoms.

One new finding uncovered in the research was around alcohol consumption. The authors observed that participants tended to increase their alcohol consumption when approaching menopause, making it a potential clue that the change was coming. That makes sense, says Streicher. The level of education a woman has completed is one thing that seems to correlate with menopause timing, says Faubion.

How frequently a woman has sex has also been correlated with early menopause. A study published in January in R oyal Society Open Science found that women who had sex at least once a week were less likely to go through menopause compared with women who had sex less than once a month. Women who are concerned that they may have trouble conceiving or think they may experience menopause early and still want children should discuss options such as egg freezing with their doctor, says Streicher.

Body weight might matter, though. It would be helpful for every woman to know exactly when menopause will arrive. Welt CK, et al. Ovarian development and failure menopause in normal women. North American Menopause Society. Welt CK. Pathogenesis and causes of spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency premature ovarian failure. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency premature ovarian failure.

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Red clover. Dong quai. Wild yam. Food and Drug Administration. Bachmann G, et al. Treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause vulvovaginal atrophy. Burnett TL expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Related Bioidentical hormones: Are they safer? Bleeding after menopause: Is it normal? Caffeine and menopause symptoms Hormone therapy Menopause hormone therapy and your heart Menopause hormone therapy: Does it cause vaginal bleeding? Menopause hormone therapy: Follow-up appointments?

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