National Institute of
Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of National Institutes of
Health of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (NIH), leads a broad
scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy,
active years of life.
If you are a woman in her mid-forties or early fifties, you
may feel like your body is changing, but you may not know what is happening.
Maybe your periods are not the same. You do not sleep as well as you always
have. Or, your waist is getting thicker, and you may not like that. You may not
be paying much attention to these changes until one day, if you are like many
women, it happens—a hot flash! One minute you feel perfectly comfortable, and
the next you are sweating and flushed—for no apparent reason. You may be
surprised. You may feel “too young.” You ask yourself—could this be the start
of my transition through menopause?
This booklet, compiled by NIA, begins with an explanation of
what is happening during the menopausal transition. It will tell you about some
of the common signs that you are beginning this transition and give you
information about handling bothersome symptoms. There is a discussion of some health
problems that become more common after menopause, as well as suggestions for
staying healthy. There is a resource list for more information. This booklet,
based on research conducted by scientists, represents what we know now about
the menopausal transition.
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