How Much Do You Know About Menopause?

Menopause can be a time of great physical, psychological and emotional changes that can overwhelm you if you don't know what to expect.

If you're close to menopause age, or already going through it, the more information your have the better you will manage the transition.

With that in mind, I have set up a fun quiz so that you can discover how much you REALLY know about menopause.

1 At approximately what age can you expect menopause to begin?
a) 46
b) 57
c) 51
d) Anywhere over 35

2 Which of the following, can cause premature menopause?
a) Smoking
b) Drinking alcohol
c) Being overweight
d) Being underweight

3 Spotting or bleeding after menopause is normal:
a) True
b) False

4 Which of the following can help control the symptoms of menopause?
a) Healthy lifestyle
b) Adequate exercise
c) Good food choices
d) All of the above

5 Symptoms of menopause usually start suddenly without warning:
a) True
b) False

6 Which of these hormones do the ovaries eventually stop producing?

a) Estrogen
b) Progesterone
c) Both

7 How much bone loss per year can you expect in the first 5 years after
menopause?
a) 3-5%
b) 11-15%
c) 1-2%%
d) 6-10%

8 Why does hormone production decline during menopause?
a) Women run out of eggs
b) Reason is not yet known
c) The uterus loses it's effectiveness
d) Fallopian tubes lose their effectiveness

9 All menopausal women should be on hormone therapy:
a) True
b) False

10 Menopause is:
a) A purely physical change
b) The cause of depression
c) A natural stage of development
d) A pain

11 A diet rich in what may help control menopausal symptoms?
a) Fruit and vegetables
b) Dairy roducts
c) Lean meat
d) Soya products

12 What test can help determine whether a woman is starting menopause?
a) FSH
b) Perimenopause
c) Estrogen
d) Progesterone

13 What are the most serious side effects of menopause?
a) Cancer
b) Heart disease and osteoporosis
c) Thrombosis
d) Arthritis

14 What is the first symptom of menopause?
a) Hot flashes
b) Missed periods
c) It's different for every woman
d) Weight gain

15 Menopause can increase the chances of suffering with:
a) Bowel disorders
b) Cancer
c) Urinary infection
d) Conjunctivitis

If you're not sure of the answers, here they are:

1 c The onset of menopause varies from woman to woman - as do the symptoms. Some women enter menopause in their mid 30's, a few in their late 50's. However, most women experience menopause during their early 50's.

2 a Statistics tell us that women who smoke may go through menopause a year earlier than women who don't.

3 b Unless you're on hormone therapy, it's not normal to experience bleeding after menopause. Professional help should be sought as a precautionary measure.

4 d Medication is not always necessary to control menopausal symptoms and they can often be managed by taking a more natural approach.

5 b Symptoms usually begin gradually as the body goes through various hormonal changes.

6 c The levels of both hormones decrease throughout menopause. This causes the associated symptoms, such as fatigue, mood swings and hot flashes

7 a Bone loss can result in reduced height, weight gain and osteoporosis. It's vital to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine to protect the bones as much as possible.

8 b The cause of hormonal decline is, as yet, unknown, although it is known that the decline begins in a woman's mid to late thirties.

9 b While some women have great results from traditional(synthetic) forms of hormone therapy, others prefer to seek out a more natural approach to managing their symptoms.

10 c Yes, it brings huge changes, but menopause is a natural progression from one stage of a woman's life, to the next. And as more is discovered about it, more options are available to manage and control most symptoms.

11 d There has been some evidence that consuming soya products can have positive effects on menopausal symptoms. This is due to the mild estrogenic effect of soya.

12 a The amount of Follicle Stimulating Hormone in the blood will be tested to give an indication if a woman is in or about to enter menopause.

13 b Be sensible about your lifestyle and pay particular attention to your eating and exercise routing. Don't leave your health to chance.

14 c There is no standard menopause. Symptoms, their regularity and intensity will be different for each woman.

15 c Urinary infections are one of the more unpleasant symptoms of menopause.