Reference

Menopause Glossary — 10 terms, plain English.

Ten common words you’ll meet in articles, conversations with your clinician, and the rest of Kinsage. Each entry is a short, neutral definition — not medical advice — meant to help you read the menopause conversation with more confidence.

Brain fog

Brain fog is the everyday name for trouble with memory, focus, and finding words that some people notice around menopause.

It is usually tied to changing hormone levels, sleep disruption, and stress rather than a permanent change in thinking.

Most people see it ease with time, sleep, hydration, and gentle exercise — though a clinician can help if it is sudden or worsening.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the main stress hormone, made by the adrenal glands on a daily rhythm that peaks in the morning and falls at night.

During menopause, shifting estrogen and progesterone can leave the stress response more easily triggered, which can worsen hot flashes and sleep.

Steady sleep, regular movement, and breathing-based relaxation are common ways to keep cortisol from running high all day.

Estrogen

Estrogen is the family of hormones most associated with female reproductive development, though it has roles across the body.

It supports bone density, skin elasticity, blood-vessel health, mood regulation, and the lining of the vagina — so a steady drop in midlife is felt in many places at once.

Estrogen also shapes how the brain manages temperature, so falling levels are closely tied to hot flashes and night sweats.

Hot flashes (hot flushes)

A hot flash is a sudden wave of heat, often starting in the chest and moving up to the face, sometimes paired with flushing and sweating.

They are the most reported menopause symptom and are driven mostly by falling estrogen and the brain’s changing thermostat.

Triggers vary — spicy food, warm rooms, alcohol, caffeine, and stress are common ones — and tracking them is one of the most useful first steps.

HRT (Hormone replacement therapy)

Hormone replacement therapy is a medical treatment that supplies estrogen (and sometimes progesterone) to replace what the ovaries have stopped making.

It is the most studied option for moderate-to-severe hot flashes, night sweats, and genitourinary symptoms, and it also protects bone density.

Like any medication, it carries risks and contraindications; a clinician can help weigh benefits against personal and family history.

Menopause

Menopause is the single point in time, twelve months after the last menstrual period, when the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs.

The years leading up to it are called perimenopause, and the years after are postmenopause — together, this whole stretch is often called “the menopause transition.”

The average age in the United States is about 51, though anything from the mid-40s to late 50s is within the usual range.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause means “around menopause” — the several-year stretch before periods stop when hormones begin to fluctuate sharply.

Cycles get shorter, longer, lighter, or heavier; symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruption, and mood shifts often begin here even while periods still come.

It usually starts in the mid-40s and ends twelve months after the final period, when the official menopause date is reached.

Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds — found in soy, flaxseed, legumes, and some grains — that weakly mimic human estrogen in the body.

They are sometimes explored as a gentler dietary approach to menopause comfort, though effects are modest and vary by person.

Because they interact with hormone-related conditions and some medications, it is worth asking a clinician before leaning on them heavily.

Progesterone

Progesterone is the hormone that prepares the uterine lining for pregnancy and then drops sharply if pregnancy does not occur.

During perimenopause, progesterone often falls faster than estrogen, which can tip the balance and contribute to heavy or irregular periods, sleep disturbance, and mood shifts.

In HRT, progesterone (or a close relative called a progestin) is added to estrogen for anyone with a uterus, to protect the uterine lining.

Sleep disruption

Sleep disruption around menopause means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking feeling rested — often paired with night sweats and a racing mind.

It is one of the most under-recognized symptoms and one of the most impactful, since poor sleep magnifies mood, focus, and pain the next day.

Cooler bedrooms, a steady wind-down routine, and tracking what disrupts sleep are common starting points before considering medical support.