The uterus sheds its lining in the form of menstrual discharge (blood and mucosal tissue) for 3-7 days in a month, which is a sign of not being pregnant. However, women should be aware of a lot of other significant terms that revolve around menstruation. Two of the most important ones are menarche and menopause.
Menarche and menopause are two important milestones in a women’s life. Menarche refers to the beginning of a menstrual cycle for young girls when they reach the age of puberty. In contrast, menopause refers to ending the menstrual cycle for older women when ovulation stops in their bodies.
Key Differences Between Menarche And Menopause
Following are the key differences between the two:
1. Age
Menarche occurs when girls reach the age of puberty, which is between 11-16 years. Menopause ends when women stop ovulating between 45-50 years.
2. Bone mass
The measure in which the amount of minerals is calculated in a certain volume of bone is known as bone mass. It increases during menarche and decreases during menopause due to significant hormonal changes.
3. Hormones
Estrogen level plays a major role in affecting our bodies during menstruation. It starts to increase during menarche. During menopause, it decreases slowly and starts declining further. This is also one of the reasons for low bone density in older women.
4. Side effects
During both menarche and menopause, women go through various changes in their bodies. Young girls are prone to increased mood swings, menstrual cramps, acne, irritability, etc., during menarche. Older women face hair loss, lack of sleep, anxiety, weight gain, skin dryness, mood swings, etc., during menopause.
5. Significance
Menstruation has everything to do about reproductivity in our bodies. During menarche, women start ovulating and, hence, can reproduce or be pregnant. During menopause, women stop ovulating and hence, become incapable of reproducing.
Also Read: How to Get Periods Immediately to Avoid Pregnancy? - According to a Doctor!
Relationship Between Menarche And Menopause
Though fertility and reproductivity in women are manipulated by menarche and menopause, there is not enough evidence showing any hardcore relationship between the two. As per studies, the age at which menopause occurs in women is independent of the age at which menarche occurs.
As per another set of studies, there is some significant relationship between the psychological symptoms in premenopausal women and the age at which menarche occurs in them. However, all of the menstrual properties concerning both menarche and menopause are known to be important factors in predicting mortality.
References
- Elisabeth K Bjelland, April 2018; The relation of age at menarche with age at natural menopause: a population study of 336 788 women in Norway - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324472854
- Muharram R, June 2017; ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENARCHE AGE AND MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS - https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ajpcr/article/view/17706
