Women are born with a finite amount of eggs stored in their ovaries. Ovaries are responsible for both storing the eggs and producing hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which help control and regulate ovulation and menstruation. When the ovaries stop releasing an egg every month, menopause arises.
 

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive period in her life. It is a normal biological process that occurs in three stages. The average age of menopause is 51 years old, but menopause may occur as early as the 30s or as late as the 60s.
 

Stage 1: Perimenopause
 

Perimenopause is the first stage of menopause. It typically begins a few years prior to menopause. Perimenopause occurs when the ovaries start to gradually produce less and less estrogen. As perimenopause nears its end and gets closer to menopause, the decrease in the production of estrogen quickens. Many women are affected by symptoms of menopause during perimenopause.
 

Stage 2: Menopause

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Menopause is the second stage of menopause. The end of perimenopause and the beginning of menopause arise when it has been one full year since a woman’s last menstrual period. During menopause, the ovaries have substantially decreased their production of estrogen and have stopped releasing eggs.
 

Stage 3: Postmenopause
 

Postmenopause is the last and final stage of menopause and defined as the years after menopause. During postmenopause, symptoms of menopause have eased for most women.  However, some health risks associated with the lack of estrogen arises as women get older.
 

Medical Intervention

Although the majority of women experience "natural" or spontaneous menopause, some women may experience menopause due to a medical intervention. Surgically removing both ovaries, a procedure known as bilateral oophorectomy, triggers menopause at any age. Induced menopause can also occur if the ovaries are damaged by radiation, chemotherapy or certain drugs. Some medical conditions also may cause menopause to occur earlier.