Every woman knows of menopause – the point in time when you hit a full year since having your final ever period. Most women will reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with those experiencing it before 45 being deemed as going through ‘early menopause’ and those experiencing it before the age of 40 considered ‘premature menopause’.
But what exactly is perimenopause? It is a far less common term however, every woman who goes through menopause will have experienced it.
Perimenopause is the phase before a woman’s final menstrual period. Perimenopause generally begins in your 40s and on average, lasts between four to six years, although it can last for longer or shorter periods.
During perimenopause, your periods may be irregular, and you may experience other symptoms like hot flushes and vaginal dryness. You will also be at higher risk of mood changes, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, so it is important to maintain an open discussion about your symptoms with a trained professional who has studied a counseling psychology masters program online or a similar degree if required.
Once you have gone through 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, your perimenopause period is over and you officially reach menopause.
What causes perimenopause?
At the most basic level, perimenopause occurs as your ovaries begin to run out of eggs. Oestrogen levels in your body will also start to fluctuate, which is what causes many of the perimenopause symptoms you may experience such as hot flushes.
Perimenopause occurs as you age, however, some surgeries or treatments for cancer have been known to bring on sudden or early perimenopause.
Other factors that may impact an early start of perimenopause may be;
- Smoking may result in an onset of perimenopause one to two years earlier than in women who do not smoke.
- A family history of early perimenopause may result in a woman experiencing early perimenopause themselves.
- A hysterectomy removes your uterus but not your ovaries, which means your body will still produce estrogen although you will no longer have periods. In some cases, it may also bring on perimenopause.
Perimenopause Symptoms
The most common perimenopause symptom is irregular periods. They may come more or less often than you have previously experienced, they may be shorter or longer in duration and may be lighter or heavier than usual. This can also fluctuate from month to month.
Hot flushes and night sweats are also fairly common. A 2021 survey found that among 40-65 year-old women, one in eight said hot flushes was the perimenopausal symptom that impacted them most. A further 11% of those surveyed reported weakened bladder control and brain fog as impacting them most.
Other perimenopausal symptoms you may get include;
- Disturbed sleep and tiredness
- Headaches
- Sore muscles and joints
- Vaginal dryness
- Sore breasts
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Weight gain
Lifestyle changes to manage perimenopausal symptoms
Sometimes, perimenopause can be difficult to manage. If you are struggling with the perimenopause symptoms there are a few lifestyle changes you can make which may reduce the severity of them;
- Try to ensure you are getting enough sleep every evening
- Where possible lower your stress levels through stress-relieving techniques
- Make a conscious effort to reduce weight gain
For those experiencing hot flushes try the following;
- Cutting back on tea, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine
- Avoiding alcohol or spicy foods
- Eating foods with phytoestrogens such as tofu, whole grains, beans, and lentils
Some lifestyle changes can help to better manage perimenopausal symptoms.
When to see a doctor
While in most cases perimenopausal symptoms are not severe and can be managed, some women seek medical attention if they are more greatly impacting their day-to-day lives. This can take time, however, as symptoms come on gradually and often women do not initially realize they are connected to the same root cause.
While irregular periods are to be expected, some women may experience bleeding that lasts longer than seven days, heavy bleeding, or spot bleeding between periods. If you are experiencing symptoms that severely interfere with your life or mental/physical well-being such as heavy periods, hot flushes, mood swings, or even changes in sexual function, it is time to visit your doctor.
Your doctor will talk to you about your perimenopause symptoms, the impact they are having on your life and, if you are under 45 years old, your doctor may arrange for a blood test to check your level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which will change as you go through perimenopause and help to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
If you have any concerns about perimenopause symptoms, reach out to your doctor today.
