Perimenopause marks the interval in which your body begins its transition into menopause. Menopause is when women stop menstruating -having periods- and their ovaries gradually stop working.
Perimenopause includes the years leading up to menopause — anywhere from two to eight years — plus the first year after your final period. It is a transition period in a woman’s life and signals the beginning of the loss of fertility because of the body’s natural aging process.
Perimenopause and menopause are not diseases. They are healthy and natural parts of a woman’s life.
The levels of your reproductive hormones — estrogen and progesterone — rise and fall unevenly during perimenopause. Your menstrual cycles may lengthen or shorten, and you begin having menstrual cycles in which you don’t ovulate. It’s only during cycles when you do ovulate that you can become pregnant.
How long perimenopause starts and lasts may vary form woman to woman. You’ll notice some signs sometime in your 40s, but some women notice changes as early as their mid-30s.
Signs and symptoms
Perimenopause causes some changes in your body such as:
- Menstrual irregularities. The intervals may be longer or shorter, your flow may be scanty to profuse, and you may skip some periods.
- Hot flashes and sleep problems. About 75% to 85% of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. Their intensity, duration and frequency vary. Sleep problems are often due to hot flashes or night sweats, but sometimes sleep becomes inconsistent even without them.
- Mood changes. Some women experience mood swings, irritability or depression, but the cause of these symptoms may be sleep disruption or other menopausal symptoms more than the hormonal changes of menopause.
- Vaginal and bladder problems. When estrogen levels diminish, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse painful. Low estrogen levels may also leave you more vulnerable to urinary or vaginal infections.
- Decreasing fertility. As ovulation becomes irregular, your ability to conceive decreases.
- Changes in sexual function. During perimenopause, sexual arousal and desire may change. But for most women who had satisfactory sexual intimacy before menopause, this will continue through perimenopause and beyond.
- Loss of bone. With declining estrogen levels, you start to lose bone more quickly than you replace it, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
- Changing cholesterol levels. Declining estrogen levels may lead to unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol levels, including an increase in lLDL cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol. At the same time, HDL cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — decreases.
As you go through the menopausal transition, your body’s production of estrogen and progestin fluctuates. These hormonal fluctuations are at the root of the changes your body goes through during perimenopause.
Making healthy lifestyles choices may help alleviate some of the symptoms of perimenopause as well as promote good health as you age. These choices include:
- Good nutrition. Low-fat, high-fiber diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, calcium-rich foods or take a calcium supplement, avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can trigger hot flashes.
- Regular exercise helps prevent weight gain, may reduce the intensity of hot flashes, improves your sleep, strengthens your bones and elevates your mood.
- Stress reduction. Practiced regularly, stress reduction techniques, such as meditation or yoga.
- Vaginal lubricants may ease dryness and pain associated with sexual intercourse
It is important that you talk to your doctor.
The transition to menopause can be a time of great change, a time of reflection and inspiration. Although transitions of any kind can be naturally difficult, many women experience a brand new sense of freedom and anticipate personal growth, because menopausal women have confidence and experience. |
