Penelope Cruz has been struggling with menopause for over a decade now. During a candid conversation with Allure, the Vanilla Sky actor opened up about her menopause hot takes. When asked about the least publicly known part of the condition, Cruz said: “That it can last 10 to 12 years. It can start as early as 40. The ups and downs can be crazy.”Recalling an anecdote, she shared: ‘I remember when I was 41, my doctor told me, ‘Your hormones are going to be doing this crazy dance for 10 or 12 years’, and I thought it was a really bad joke. I thought it was not possible to handle that.”“I developed cysts in my ovaries every month, and they spike my hormones. A lot of people have this idea that it’s all about hot flashes, and that has never happened to me,” she further added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Allure Magazine (@allure)Dr Vaishali Joshi, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist, Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Mumbai explained that menopause marks the end of the menstrual cycle, which is when the ovaries stop producing eggs and releasing hormones. “Menopause is said to have occurred when there has been no menstruation for one year,” she told indianexpress.com.Dr Joshi lists out the common symptoms of menopause to be hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, low mood and/anxiety/irritability, joint and muscle pain, loss of interest in having sex, period irregularities, and weight gain.How long does menopause last?“Every woman experiences these symptoms in varying severity, starting usually 4-5 years before menopause and have different ways to cope with them. There is no reliable way of predicting how long menopausal symptoms will continue. For many women, they resolve within three years,” explained Dr Joshi.According to her, perimenopause is the menopausal transition, or the time leading up to your last period. It can start 5-10 years before menopause. Post-menopause is the duration that starts one year after the last menstrual period, she added.Dr Joshi elaborated that menopause can occur due to a variety of factors, such as natural aging — due to a decline in ovarian function and ovarian hormones, or forced menopause, which happens when the ovaries are removed surgically or get damaged after chemo or radiotherapy treatments.Story continues below this adNot all is bleak..Dr Joshi points out that not every woman who undergoes menopause needs treatment.“When the peri or menopausal symptoms affect the quality of life because of sleeplessness or osteoporosis, irritability, mood changes, or affect sex life due to lack of libido, that is when women should seek medical help,” she said, adding that it is important for the woman and her family to understand these natural processes and acknowledge them.Rima Bhandekar, Senior Psychologist, Mpower – Helpline, Aditya Birla Education Trust, explained that women generally suffer in silence during perimenopause and menopause, a time period when they need more support and compassion.ALSO READ | ‘I’m in my mid-30s and worried I’m hitting perimenopause’: Can it really start this early?“The silence around menopause makes women feel isolated, and they do not seek medical help when required. But when it is discussed openly in the family, women feel more confident to seek help and take better care of their health by making healthier choices in their lifestyle, which can be supported by the efforts of the partner, which creates harmony in family life and a better quality of life,” she elaborated.Story continues below this adBhandekar advised that partners can show support and make it easier for menopausal women during these transitioning periods by first understanding what menopause is, its indications, and its effects on women by talking to a healthcare provider. This builds compassion and helps in providing the right kind of care.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.