Overview of Perimenopause

Perimenopause, otherwise referred to as menopausal transition, is a time in the life of a woman that marks the end of her productive years… it marks the end of menstruation. This is a very gradual phase, and can even evade detection for the first several years. It represents a significant decline or general instability in estrogen production in the body. The time when perimenopause begins and ends is not known, since it is different from woman to woman. Generally, it is a phase that prepares the body for menopause.

Having said that, there are some recognizable signs and symptoms that are often associated with perimenopause. If you are still unsure whether what you are experiencing are actually the symptoms of this phase, your doctor can always perform a series of tests to help diagnose what you are going through, and tell whether it is actually perimenopause or there are some underlying health conditions that need treatment.

 Perimenopause Explained

Some of the signs associated with menopausal transition period include irregular monthly periods and menopause-like symptoms such as excessive vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and hot flashes to mention but a few. The good news is that there is treatment available to help ease the often unbearable symptoms. So how do you know that you have officially reached your menopause? The moment you miss your monthly period for 12 consecutive months, then you will know that the perimenopause period is officially over.

 

Risk factors

Despite being a normal transition in every woman’s life, there are some situations when the menopausal transition period occurs abnormally earlier. While not very conclusive, there is sufficient evidence to believe that some factors may make one predisposed to starting the perimenopause phase earlier than normal. These include:

 

Smoking – the onset of perimenopause tends to occur several years earlier in women who smoke.

Genetic predisposition – note that women tend to undergo this phase almost the same time as their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters do, but the link between age and family history is still inconclusive

Inability to bore children – if you have never delivered before in your entire life, some studies indicate that it may contribute to an early onset of signs and symptoms of perimenopause.

 

Common complications

While irregular monthly periods are the hallmark of this stage, there are some common complications that would need urgent medical attention. Always consult your doctor if:-

-          Bleeding lasts more than normal i.e. longer than 8 days

-          The bleeding is extremely heavy (you will know it is heavy if you have to change your pads or tampons every hour

-          There is bleeding in between periods

-          Irregularity in periods occur in less than 21 days

 

Such signs could be an indication of a serious gynecologic problem that would need immediate diagnosis and urgent treatment.

 

With that being said, it is always recommended that you make healthy lifestyle choices so as to ease some of the symptoms often associated with perimenopause, as you prepare your body for menopause and promote overall good health when aging. Good nutrition, regular exercise and stress reduction are some of the basic lifestyle choices that are mandatory for a healthy transition to menopause.