Menopause is that point in time when permanent cessation of menstruation occurs following the loss of ovarian activity. It is said to occur when you have not had a menstrual bleed for 12 consecutive months.
For many women menopause can be a psychological, emotional and intellectual turning point in their lives as well as a physical one, but it does not have to mean a decline. As children leave home and you look forward to reducing your workload, you will have more time to yourself than before, this can be liberating and you can take the opportunity to reassess your lifestyle and decide what you want from the future.
Menopause is a perfectly natural and normal event of life. Menopausal women do not suffer from a disease (specially a hormone deficiency) and postmenopausal hormone therapy should be reviewed as specific treatment for symptoms in the short term and preventive pharmacology in the long term.
Medical intervention at this point of life should be seen as an opportunity to provide and reinforce a programme of preventive health care. Thus this physiological event brings patients and clinicians together, providing the opportunity to enroll them in a preventive health programme.