Menopause does not necessarily mean women need succumb to the ageing process. Women can still have many opportunities to enhance their health and quality of life.
For many women, the end of fertility is seen as a new freedom, with some saying they feel more confident and have more energy than in their youth.
Others report a decline in their health and struggle with the knowledge that they can no longer produce children.
But medical specialists say that menopause is a signal to maintain or start a good health programme to prevent future ailments.
Menopause is the medical term for the end of a woman's menstrual cycle, occurring when the ovaries stop producing the hormone called oestrogen.
Oestrogen is a female hormone and prepares the body for unique functions such as pregnancy.
Menopause usually occurs between 45 and 60 years of age and is recognised by its most common symptom - hot flushes. These are sudden and intense waves of heat and are the body's response to declining oestrogen levels.
Low levels of oestrogen after menopause can result in osteoporosis, with half of all women over 50 expected to suffer a bone fracture caused because of it.
Other symptoms include irregular periods, vaginal inflammation and urinary tract infections.
Dr Tobie de Villiers, president of the South African Menopause Society, says menopause can be a confusing time and the treatment options may seem complicated, but every woman needs to know what is right for her.
"Women need to know their personal health risks and to discuss their options such as good nutrition, exercise and potential pharmacological therapies," said De Villiers.
Menopause is also associated with an increased risk in heart disease in women.
Women suffering from menopause are generally treated with hormone therapy, which has been known to have long-term risks.
President of the International Menopause Society, Professor Hermann Schneider, says the society
believes treatment should rather focus on interacting with women to discuss treatment options that suit their individual needs.
"The new data on menopausal therapy has been thoroughly discussed within the medical community and the society has produced frameworks dealing with local medical, economic, cultural and psychological aspects applicable to women and their doctors worldwide," he said.
Dr Ria Engelbrecht, a medical practitioner, says each woman's situation regarding menopause is unique.
"Menopause often has a psychological impact on women who may find themselves with feelings
of social and emotional inadequacy after the onset of menopause," she said.
Engelbrecht said that treatment should be determined by each woman's medical profile.
"Women nearing or entering menopause should discuss the treatment options with their doctor and make informed decisions about what treatment suits their particular situation," she said.
More than 75 percent of women report the following symptoms:
- Hot flushes;
- Irregular periods;
- Vaginal inflammation;
- Urinary tract infections;
- Vaginal atrophy - thinning of vaginal tissue.