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Menopause And Signs Of Perimenopause
What is Perimenopause and how might it affect us differently than other types of menopause? Many people don’t even know that there are different types of menopause and may not understand what is happening to their bodies or their loved ones. Understanding the differences is the key to successfully fighting the effects that menopause may have on our lives and our bodies.
Not to be confused with pre-menopause, perimenopause is the period of time before a woman begins menopause as her body prepares for the menopausal transition. The perimenopause transition is essentially the reverse of puberty. This transition can take anywhere from one to ten years. A woman must go at least one year without having a period before she is considered to be menopausal.
Perimenopause means hormonal changes as a woman reaches the end of her childbearing years. Production of her ovarian hormones will begin to fluctuate. Many cycles do not include ovulation during perimenopause and estrogen levels can sharply rise and drastically drop. This in turn causes menstrual periods to become shorter and more irregular until they eventually stop. The average menopausal age for women is 51 to 52, but menopause can occur in women between the ages of 45 and 55 or sometimes sooner or later.
The reason women experience perimenopausal symptoms is because of the hormonal changes occurring within their bodies. Symptoms may last years, although approximately one third of women do not experience any noticeable symptoms.
Some of the more common symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, irregular menstrual cycles, heavy bleeding, irritability, hot flashes, not sweats, problems with memory or “fuzzy thinking”, and mood swings.
If you think you are experiencing perimenopause, you should speak to your family practice physician about what you’re going through. He or she may be able to make some life changing suggestions to make the transition go better or prescribe a healthy treatment option. You should also be checked to make sure that the symptoms you’re experiencing aren’t due to some other medical condition.
Because perimenopause and menopause cause extreme hormonal changes, there really isn’t a test which can be done to pinpoint that this is what a woman is going through. An FSH test can check the blood level of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) after a woman has been without a period for a year, however, some women will go months or even years without having a period and tests will show that they can still conceive, oddly enough.
Be aware of depression and anxiety that can come with perimenopause and menopause and seek immediate medical attention if you feel you are suffering from severe emotional changes and may need treatment to combat the mood changes you’re experiencing.
Tags: Menopause, perimenopausal symptoms, Perimenopause
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