Menopause and postmenopause are the stages of a woman’s life when she no longer has a monthly period. A woman’s reproductive years have come to an end. Menopause occurs when a woman’s menstrual cycles have been absent for at least 12 months. The stage following menopause is called postmenopause.
Menopause vs Postmenopause
The main difference between Menopause and Postmenopause is Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when she no longer has her monthly period, and postmenopause is the time after menopause. Menopause normally begins between the ages of 45 and 50 years old. On average, postmenopause begins at the age of 55, however, this varies depending on when menopause finishes and the woman’s physiology.
Menopause is the end of a woman’s menstrual period. Any of the variations you go through just before or after your period stops, signaling the end of your reproductive years, are referred to as menopause. Hot flashes are abrupt feelings of warmth that spread over the upper body, sometimes accompanied by blushing and perspiration in most women approaching menopause. Most women get moderate flashes, while others experience severe flashes.
The term “post-menopause” refers to the ultimate stage of the menopause process, which signals the end of a woman’s reproductive years. Your body learns to live with low hormone levels throughout postmenopause, and symptoms caused by changing hormones may become less — or perhaps disappear entirely. 12 months after your last period, post-menopause actually starts (After menopause).
Comparison Table Between Menopause and Postmenopause
| Parameters of Comparison | Menopause | Postmenopause |
| Definition | Menopause occurs when menstruation has been absent for at least a year. | The term “postmenopause” refers to the period following menopause. |
| Age | From about ages 45 up to 50. | About 55 and beyond. |
| Antral follicle count | Low | Extremely low |
| Uterus | Starts shrinking. | Becomes smaller in size. |
| Symptom | Vaginal dryness, hot flushes, and irritability. | Increase in vaginal atrophy, |
| Treatment | Hormone replacement therapy. | Medication like Fosamax to prevent osteoporosis. |
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the stage of a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle stops, and it is usually recognized as starting when one year has passed since her last period. In most women, menopause begins around the age of 45 to 50. It occurs when the ovaries are no longer producing eggs, and you are unable to conceive.
When the ovaries no longer produce high quantities of hormones, the conventional changes we think of as “menopause” occur. The reproductive glands that store eggs and release them into the fallopian tubes are known as the ovaries. The ovaries stop releasing eggs into the fallopian tubes as menopause approaches, then you’ll have your last monthly cycle.
Changes in hormone levels cause a variety of symptoms, including insomnia, restlessness, night sweats, and vaginal atrophy. A doctor can tell if a woman has approached menopause by looking at her hormone levels and seeing that estrogen, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are dropping, and her antral follicle count is down.
To receive treatment, Hormone replacement treatment is a viable choice for some women, as it alleviates many of the symptoms of menopause. Women can get estrogen and progesterone from their doctors to restore the hormones that are depleting in their bodies. To aid with dryness, vaginal lubricants can be purchased.
What is Post Menopause?
The interval following menopause is known as postmenopause. It usually strikes those over the age of 55. When menopause finishes, which varies from woman to woman, postmenopause begins at a specific age.
Many of the annoying symptoms that a woman may have had before menopause begin to fade at this time. However, postmenopausal women are at a higher risk for a variety of health issues, including osteoporosis and heart disease, due to several reasons, including one with a lower level of estrogen. The severity of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats normally decreases after menopause. However, some signs, such as vaginal dryness, may worsen as a woman enters the postmenopause phase of her life.
A doctor can diagnose a woman’s post-menopause state based on the lack of menstruation for more than a year and the intensity of menopausal symptoms reducing. Furthermore, the antral follicle count is extremely low, and FSH levels are likewise extremely low. Postmenopause is a natural part of the aging process that affects all women at some point in their lives.
In most cases, no treatment is required, though hormone replacement therapy may be required if symptoms such as hot flushes persist. Women in their postmenopausal years should have their bone density checked because the risk of osteoporosis is much higher at this age.
Main Differences Between Menopause and Post Menopause
- Menopause is the period of a woman’s life when menstruation ceases, whereas Postmenopause is the period that follows menopause.
- Menopause normally begins between the ages of 45 and 50 years old, whereas on average, postmenopause occurs at the age of 55, however, this varies depending on when menopause finishes.
- During menopause, levels of estrogen, progesterone, and FSH fall and vary. Postmenopause, on the other hand, sees the same hormones at very low, but steady, levels.
- During menopause, the uterus begins to shrink, whereas by the time postmenopause occurs, the uterus is relatively tiny.
- Menopause can continue anywhere from seven to ten years, while postmenopause lasts the rest of a woman’s life.
Conclusion
Menopause and postmenopause are both natural periods that women go through throughout their lives. The feminine hormones progesterone, estrogen, and the hormone FSH are all reduced in both cases. Menopause comes before postmenopause and typically starts between the ages of 45 and 50. After menopause, postmenopause occurs, and the symptoms of menopause are frequently significantly reduced at this time. Osteoporosis is a highly common side effect of menopause, and many women take vitamins or medicines to lower their risks of developing the disease. Prescription hormone replacement tablets are the most common treatment for menopause. Hormone replacement tablets, as well as drugs like Fosamax to prevent and cure osteoporosis, are sometimes used to treat postmenopause symptoms.
References
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00737-007-0209-5
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM196902132800705