Menopause is the time in a woman’s life in which her menstrual cycle ends and she is no longer fertile. It is a cycle when one woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs, periods stop and the hormone level changes. It is a natural part of woman’s life, just like puberty.

Changing levels of the hormone estrogen in the body lead the symptoms of menopause. The range for the age of menopause is 41 to 61 years and the average age is 51 years for a woman surviving in normal conditions. However in certain developing countries the average age is 44 years. Some women can experience menopause even at 30 because of hysterectomy or other medical complications or as late as 60. But these situations are very rare.

The age for menopause is not certain for any women and differs from person to person. The age for menopause remains quite consistent in a family. So you can get an idea by knowing at what age your mom or sister went through menopause. The age can vary on several different considerations. On an average woman smokers tend to experience menopause earlier as that compared to non-smokers.