Strictly speaking, menopause is your final menstrual period, but most doctors agree you need 12 straight months without a period before you can call that last period “final.” Gone along with your periods, however, are your “factory-installed” female hormones. These protect you against a host of conditions–heart disease and osteoporosis most prominently–and lack of them can lead to a variety of symptoms, known collectively by your mothers as “the change.” These may include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, weight changes and poor concentration.