How to Know If Menstrual Periods Have Stopped

Detecting Menopause

Understand the basics of menopause. In order to figure out if you are experiencing menopause, you need to understand the basic biological processes that underlie menopause.

Menopause is the point at which your menstrual periods will stop for good. The ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The years leading up to your last period, where you may experience common symptoms like hot flashes, are often mistakenly referred to as menopause. However, this is actually a menopausal transition known as perimenopause.

Usually, women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 55, the average age being 51. You may experience premature menopause, however, especially if you've had surgeries to remove certain reproductive organs.Menopause is a natural bodily process that does not require medical treatment. However, many women benefit from hormonal replacement during the perimenopause transition. Talk to your doctor if this is something you feel would help you with the physical and emotional toll of menopause.Track how long it has been since your last menstrual cycle. Depending on how long it's been since your last cycle, you may not yet be experiencing menopause. If that's the case you may have another menstrual period at some point before your cycle completely stops.






Irregular periods are common during premenopause. A few missed periods in a row may not be menopause itself, so check with your doctor if you've missed only a few periods in a row. You want to rule out other potential health problems, such as cancer, before assuming you're entering menopause.It's a good idea to monitor your monthly cycle so you know when your period is late. You should get in the habit of tracking your cycle as you reach your early 40s as menopause can start during this time. A simple dot on a calendar can be a good indicator of when your period began.

If your menstrual period has been absent for a year, you are in menopause. Your period will not return.If, after a year, you suddenly experience bleeding, contact your doctor immediately. This is postmenopausal bleeding and needs to be evaluated as soon as possible.Keep track of other symptoms. Keep track of any symptoms you have to gauge how long you've been experiencing premenopausal symptoms. Knowing that you've gone through premenopause already can help you detect menopause itself.Hot flashes are common during premenopause. These are sudden feelings of heat in the upper part of your body. Red blotches may appear on your skin and arms.During premenopause, your feelings about sex may change. Women become more or less interested in sex due to hormonal changes. Sex may become uncomfortable, however, due to the vaginal dryness some women experience during menopause.

Vaginal infections and urinary tract infections may become more prevalent in the years leading up to menopause.Difficulty sleeping, mood swings, difficulty focusing, and weight gain around the midsection are other symptoms of menopause.