Perimenopause, also known as “about menopause”, is the menopausal transition that a woman undergoes. It can start when a woman is in her 40s or at times even in 30s. Every woman undergoes this change even if they don’t want to. A lot of women have many medical problems and much of those are same like their mothers’. A lot of people are not aware that that menopause is just when the ovaries stop producing estrogen and that perimenopause is one of the side-effects, which is often neglected.

9 Signs of Perimenopause

When Does It Occur?

Once you’ve completed 12 consecutive months with no menstrual period, you’ve formally reached menopause, and the perimenopause time is over. The average woman is 50 years old at the time of menopause. The change is marked by changing levels of hormone. During this stage, symptoms like hot flashes, prickliness, nervousness, worry mood changes, bone loss, and memory difficulties begin. These symptoms might can give trouble even to those of other health conditions.

At present, women have so much to do in their daily lives, which can be hectic and demanding. This stress can cause many things to happen inside the body. Stress can cause exhaustion, behavior changes, and tiredness or even touch your eating habits. These variations are also symbols that you might be incoming perimenopause. Women today can experience perimenopause symptoms in their late 30’s to their 50″s.

1. Hot Flashes – This is simply when the body temperature can be “normal’ then the next moment you are hotter than on the hottest day of summer.

2. Low Libido – Many factors come into play on this one but the change in the hormone level has a great effect on the female body which can greatly reduce this aspect of a woman’s life.

3. Mood Swings – The changes in the hormone levels affects how a woman acts and behaves and this usually occurs without her having any control as it simply happens before she can react.

4. Memory Lapses – Is remembering where you placed your car keys becoming a problem? You were on the way to do some laundry but walked right past the laundry room and completely forgot about the laundry? Mental activities are tested on a much more regular basis.

5. Irregular periods – It probably has become second nature to know automatically when your cycle is to start and when it will begin. Perimenopause periods begin before menopause and are when your periods are changing and/or are irregular. They can change to light or heavy and the time span in between periods can be less or more.

If you are concerned about your health and about perimenopause and menopause, consult with your doctor or gynecologist and discuss these natural body changes with him/her. It is important that you are happy and healthy and that the effects of these changes don’t inhibit your daily life events.

6. An Uncomfortable Symptom – Less estrogen in perimenopause causes vaginal dryness as the tissue thins out. The tissues of the urethra also become thinner, and pelvic muscles weaken, all of which may lead to incontinence. A woman may experience soreness, itching, discomfort, and pain during sex, all of which may decrease the desire to be intimate and lead to anxiety. If the thought of being intimate when you have vaginal dryness is unpleasant, there are many things you can do to be more comfortable. Over-the-counter products, like water-based vaginal lubricant and moisturizer, can make intimacy more comfortable. For severe symptoms, the doctor may prescribe hormone therapy or topical estrogen cream to treat your condition. Ask your doctor for medical advice regarding how best to deal with dryness and whether prescription treatment is appropriate for you.

7. Erratic menstrual periods – This is the main symptom that alerts you to perimenopause. This can be anywhere from a short or long period to a period with either heavy or light flow. Sometimes, a period is skipped or there is just very light spotting.

8. Sleeplessness and Fatigue – Because experiencing hot flashes and night sweats are common complaints, some experts have noted that menopausal women rarely get as much sleep as they need. While there is a variety of over-the-counter medications to treat these specific symptoms, some doctors turn to HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) to help their patients get the rest they need.

9. Weight gain – Though, not every woman experiences weight gain during or after menopause, the lack of estrogen has been known to wreak havoc on the metabolism. That’s why doctors urge pre-menopausal women to practice healthy eating and exercise habits before they enter the phase.