the.com/menopause
the body firing your fertility department after decades of unpaid overtime.
means The natural point in a woman's life when menstruation permanently stops and she can no longer become pregnant, typically occurring in the late 40s or early 50s.
from Built from Greek roots: 'men,' meaning month (the same root behind 'menstruation' and 'menses,' tied to the lunar month and the monthly cycle), plus 'pausis,' a stopping or cessation. So literally 'the monthly pause' — though as the essence notes, it's less a coffee break than a permanent retirement. The term was coined in the early 19th century by French physicians ('ménopause') and traveled into English from there.
- timing
- Officially diagnosed after twelve straight months without a period.
- hot flashes
- Up to 80 percent of women experience them.
- grandmother hypothesis
- Post-fertile women evolved to boost grandchildren's survival.
- rare club
- Only humans and a few whale species experience it.
- brain rewires
- Estrogen drop literally reshapes regions controlling temperature and mood.
hormone replacement therapy — treatment used by millions of women starting in 1960s to manage menopause symptoms like hot flashes
the change of life — historical term for menopause, average age 51 in developed countries