The Difference Between Perimenopause and Menopause
Many are surprised to learn that menopause is actually just one single day. It is the day that marks a women's 12-month consecutive time without a menstrual cycle. After this, they are considered post-menopausal.
Perimenopause lasts, on average, 4 years before this final period, but it varies depending on the individual. The average age for menopause in the U.S. is 52 years old , but typically happens between 40 and 58 years old. The age at which one's mother experienced menopause may actually be the biggest predictor for their menopausal age.
Lifestyle factors may also influence the age of menopause: smoking, chemotherapy, and major surgeries. Smoking creates free radicals that damage the ovaries and can cause a woman to enter early menopause. Chemotherapy, used in the treatment of certain cancers, is also toxic to the ovaries and may cause early menopause onset. Race may also play a role : Hispanic and Black women reach menopause earlier, and Chinese and Japanese women a little later, on average.
Dr. Lilli Link is a board-certified Internist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who graduated from medical school at the University of Chicago, and completed her residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.
What is Parsley Health?
Parsley Health is Hilton's virtual women+ health benefit whose medical team treats the root cause of symptoms and conditions by getting to know you on a deeper level, identifying risk factors, and creating a health plan just for you.
Parsley Health is available to all women+ Team Members (and eligible spouses and 18+ dependents) who are enrolled in an Anthem or Cigna health plan through Hilton.
Disclaimer
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, symptoms, or treatment before undertaking a new health care regimen.