Women can experience a range of symptoms during menopause

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WOODRUFF, Wisc. (WJFW) -- Menopause marks the end of female fertility.

But when it begins can vary from woman to woman.

"Menopause is when a woman stops ovulating," said Dr. Joelle Wennlund who is a Gynecologist at Aspirus Woodruff Clinic.

Menopause is when a woman has gone 12 months without a period.

"The median age is 51. So that means some women are gonna have it a little bit before, some women a little bit later. So even women in their 40's it's normal to go through menopause."

She says women should see a doctor if their periods become infrequent before the age of 40.

"We call that premature ovarian insufficiency," said Dr. Wennlund. "And that can be associated with other problems such as thyroid disorders that should be evaluated in addition if you enter menopause at an earlier age before the age of 40 we have other concerns. We worry about cardiovascular disease and we also worry about bone health."

No matter what age, the Mayo Clinic says women can experience a variety of menopause symptoms including chills, night sweats, mood changes and brain fog.

"Which can be very alarming to patients they get concerned about developing dementia. There is a brain fog associated with menopause fortunately it doesn't continue to deteriorate it usually levels off, but oftentimes patients need reassurance about that."

She says women can start having hot flashes when they start missing periods and it can be treated with hormone therapy.

"We encourage women if they are having symptoms of menopause that are bothersome to bring them to our attention so that they can be treated."