Early signs of menopause

For most women, natural menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age of onset being 51.4 years of age. In rare instances, menopause can occur as early as the 30′s or as late as the 60′s. Even though you are still menstruating, you may begin to experience the signs of menopause. This natural menopause process itself is usually identified retrospectively, when it’s been a year since a last period.
The term menopause is sometimes used to refer to the entire process leading up to the end of fertility, but this is actually incorrect. Most clinicians will say a woman is postmenopausal once she hasn’t had a period for a year. Many women start to notice symptoms they suspect could be indicative of menopause well before actual menopause.