WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE
Your periods are becoming a little erratic, your skin feels extremely dry, you frequently feel bloated, your memory is cloudy, and occasionally you wake up in the middle of the night sweating. We all agree that it's a little unsettling. But before you start researching your symptoms because you're concerned you might have a fatal ailment, consider this. If you are over 35, there's a good probability that you are only going through perimenopause.
So what is perimenopause, exactly? Most people have heard about menopause, which typically occurs in women between the ages of 40 and 50 and marks the end of menstruation and fertility. The perimenopause stage, however, is when the menopausal transition might start several years sooner.
According to The Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.org “Peri-menopause means ‘around menopause’ and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years. Perimenopause is also called the menopausal transition”.
Eight to ten years before you reach menopause, you may experience perimenopause. The majority of women start to experience perimenopause symptoms in their late 30s to early 40s. As we become older, the ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, which results in perimenopause.
Your estrogen levels may go up or down erratically, which can interfere with your regular 28-day menstrual cycle. Your periods have become unpredictable and erratic as a result.
YOU BUT... SOME THINGS ARE DIFFERENT
You still get periods during perimenopause even though your ovaries are generating less estrogen the difference is that they cycle will be more irregular. It is also still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause.
Your cycle persists until the ovaries start producing very little estrogen. The first stage of decline occurs as low estrogen prevents the ovaries from stimulating the production of an egg, which is supposed to occur every period cycle. Progesterone production is heightened by the release of an egg, so this is what initially stops.
It will begin a few years before periods stop, and one of the things that are noticed is the irregularity of periods, perhaps being a day or two early or late. The timing will become more erratic, and the bleed may change too.
Other symptoms a woman may experience include sleep disturbance, anxiety, hot flushes, lower sex drive, fatigue, vaginal dryness, urine leakage when coughing or sneezing.
The body starts producing less ovarian follicles (small sacs filled with fluid that are found inside the ovaries. They secrete hormones which influence the stages of the menstrual cycle. Each has the potential to release an egg for fertilization).
After a while of this low estrogen phase, your periods will eventually stop completely. When you haven't had a period in the last 12 months, menopause has begun. However, you are still in the perimenopause stage if you continue to have irregular periods or encounter the odd spotting.
It is important to note that for some women, perimenopause may occur earlier, particularly if:
- A genetic predisposition to early menopause exists (where possible, find out from mothers and/or aunts when their menopause occurred).
- You smoke
- You have undergone chemotherapy
- Uterus or ovaries have been surgically removed.
Perimenopause is simply a normal biological phase associated with aging.
There is no need for concern because it is not a disease. On the other hand, some women may endure unsettling perimenopause symptoms however the reassuring realty is that these can usually be managed with a balanced combination of natural remedies, a nutritious diet, consistent exercise, and alternative treatments.
You still get periods during perimenopause even though your ovaries are generating less estrogen the difference is that they cycle will be more irregular. It is also still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause.
Your cycle persists until the ovaries start producing very little estrogen. The first stage of decline occurs as low estrogen prevents the ovaries from stimulating the production of an egg, which is supposed to occur every period cycle. Progesterone production is heightened by the release of an egg, so this is what initially stops.
After a while of this low estrogen phase, your periods will eventually stop completely. When you haven't had a period in the last 12 months, menopause has begun. However, you are still in the perimenopause stage if you continue to have irregular periods or encounter the odd spotting.
It is important to note that for some women, perimenopause may occur earlier, particularly if:
- A genetic predisposition to early menopause exists (where possible, find out from mothers and/or aunts when their menopause occurred).
- You smoke
- You have undergone chemotherapy
- Uterus or ovaries have been surgically removed.
Perimenopause is simply a normal biological phase associated with aging.
There is no need for concern because it is not a disease. On the other hand, some women may endure unsettling perimenopause symptoms however the reassuring realty is that these can usually be managed with a balanced combination of natural remedies, a nutritious diet, consistent exercise, and alternative treatments.
