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Menopause symptom check (วัยทอง)

Hot flushes, broken nights, mood swings, stiff joints: as fifty approaches, many women wonder whether this is "the menopause". This check uses the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), an international 11-symptom questionnaire used by doctors and researchers. Answer at your own pace: the tool works out your score, compares it with the published thresholds, places you on the STRAW+10 stages and offers practical tips. Your answers stay on your phone. It is not a diagnosis: it is a starting point for a conversation with a doctor.

Free, no sign-up, nothing stored

Before you begin

Two details to place your life stage. They are optional: you can go straight to the questions.

Your periods right now

Your answers never leave your device.

Menopause symptom check (วัยทอง)

How it works

  1. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) was developed in Germany in the 1990s by Lothar and Klaas Heinemann's team at the Berlin Center for Epidemiology and Health Research (ZEG) to measure how much menopause affects daily life and how this changes over time. It lists 11 symptoms, each rated by the woman herself from 0 (none) to 4 (very severe) according to how she feels right now. The symptoms fall into three domains: somato-vegetative (hot flushes and sweating, heart, sleep, joints and muscles, out of 16), psychological (low mood, irritability, anxiety, physical and mental exhaustion, out of 16) and urogenital (sexual problems, bladder, vaginal dryness, out of 12). The total runs from 0 to 44.

  2. The severity thresholds shown come from the methodological review by Heinemann and colleagues (Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2004, table 6), based on thousands of women in several countries. Total: 0 to 4 none or little, 5 to 8 mild, 9 to 16 moderate, 17 and above severe. Somato-vegetative domain: 0-2, 3-4, 5-8, 9 and above. Psychological domain: 0-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7 and above. Urogenital domain: 0, 1, 2-3, 4 and above. These bands are for comparison, not diagnosis: two women with the same score can experience things very differently.

  3. Your life stage is estimated with STRAW+10 (Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10, Harlow and colleagues, 2012), the reference classification of reproductive ageing. Without a blood test, only cycle criteria count: subtle changes in flow or length point to stage -3a, cycles whose length differs by 7 days or more from one to the next, repeatedly, to stage -2 (early transition), and a gap of 60 days or more without a period to stage -1 (late transition). Menopause is confirmed after 12 months without a period: the first year after the final period is stage +1a, the second year stage +1b, then stage +1c lasts 3 to 6 years before late postmenopause (+2). If you have no periods because of surgery or hormonal contraception, cycles cannot be read: the tool says so and does not force a stage.

  4. In Thailand, this time of life is called วัยทอง, the "golden age". Studies in Thai hospitals put the average age of natural menopause at about 49 to 50 (48.7 at Songklanagarind Hospital in Hat Yai, 50.1 at the Royal Irrigation Hospital in Nonthaburi, on the edge of Bangkok, in a study published in Maturitas in 1997), within the usual range of 45 to 55. Joint pain, hot flushes, mood and sleep are among the most common complaints of Thai women. Menopause before 40 (premature ovarian insufficiency) or between 40 and 44 (early menopause) always deserves medical advice: the tool will point this out.

  5. The tips draw on recognised sources: the 2023 position statement of The Menopause Society (North America) on non-hormone therapy for hot flushes (cognitive behavioural therapy and clinical hypnosis work; most dietary supplements lack good evidence), the WHO physical activity guidelines (150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week plus muscle strengthening on two days) and the practical advice of public health services (layered clothing, a fan, cold drinks, knowing your triggers). They are adapted to the heat and humidity of the Thai climate. Hormonal and non-hormonal treatments exist and work well for many women: that is a decision to make with your doctor.

  6. Limits and privacy: according to its authors (Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2003), the MRS can be used without formal permission. We could not find an officially validated Thai version of the MRS, so the questions are worded by us, as close as possible to the symptoms of the original version, and the thresholds remain those of the 2004 publication. The score measures how bothersome symptoms are, not hormone levels, and does not replace a consultation. Nothing is sent: everything is calculated in your browser, and your history, if you save it, stays on this device and can be erased at any time. Retake the check every month or two, or after a change of treatment, to see how things evolve.

These tools give general information. They do not replace the advice of a doctor or a qualified professional.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the symptoms of menopause?
The best known are hot flushes and night sweats, but the list is longer: poor sleep, palpitations, low or irritable mood, anxiety, tiredness and forgetfulness, joint and muscle pain, lower desire, vaginal dryness and needing to pass urine more often. Every woman has a different mix, and some have almost none. The check goes through these 11 symptoms.
At what age does menopause start?
Natural menopause usually happens between 45 and 55; in Thai women, hospital studies give an average of about 49 to 50. The transition before it (perimenopause) often starts a few years earlier, when cycles become irregular. Before 40 it is called premature ovarian insufficiency: please see a doctor.
How do I know if I am in perimenopause?
The most reliable sign is your cycle: under the STRAW+10 criteria, cycles whose length varies by 7 days or more from one month to the next, repeatedly, mark the start of the transition, and a gap of 60 days or more without a period marks its late stage. Menopause is confirmed after 12 months without a period. Enter your cycles in the tool to see your stage on the timeline.
How can I ease hot flushes in hot weather?
Wear light layers (cotton, linen), keep a hand fan or small electric fan nearby, drink cool water, take a lukewarm shower, keep the bedroom cool at night and learn your triggers (very spicy food, alcohol, hot drinks, stress). Cognitive behavioural therapy and clinical hypnosis have proven benefits. If flushes disrupt your days or nights, ask a doctor about treatment.
What does my MRS score mean?
The total runs from 0 to 44: 0 to 4 none or little, 5 to 8 mild, 9 to 16 moderate, 17 and above severe, according to the 2004 methodological review. The tool also gives a score for each domain (body, mood, urogenital), because an average total can hide one very troublesome area. It measures how bothersome symptoms are and helps you track change; it is not a diagnosis.
I have bleeding after menopause. Is that normal?
No. Any bleeding 12 months or more after your final period should be checked by a doctor, even if it is light or happens only once. Most of the time the cause is harmless, but only an examination can confirm that. Book an appointment without waiting.
Should I take hormones for menopause?
It is neither compulsory nor automatic. Hormone therapy relieves hot flushes and vaginal dryness effectively for many women, but it is decided case by case, depending on your age, the time since menopause and your medical history. Non-hormonal treatments also exist. Show your check summary to your doctor to talk it through.

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