Written by Rita Kyurklyan
What is Perimenopause and When Does it Start?
Almost every woman has heard of menopause, but what many women don’t know about is perimenopause. Perimenopause is the coming/onset of menopause, just like the beginning of menstruation where it takes a year or two to begin a healthy cycles, it takes time for your body to adjust to your period stopping as well.
First Signs and Symptoms of Perimenopause
If you’re wondering about how it all starts here are a few early signs and symptoms of perimenopause.
Age
One of the first markers of perimenopause is age, typically women begin the process during their early forties but some women may even begin perimenopause in their mid-thirties.
Early Perimenopause
When you begin perimenopause is really dependent on many factors like genetics, health issues such as cancer, or full/partial hysterectomies. If genetically the women in your family have gone into perimenopause early there is a larger chance that you will begin perimenopause early as well. While hysterectomies and cancer treatments affect women differently case by case, if you think you might be going through perimenopause early and you have had either cancer treatments or a hysterectomy, reach out to your physician for treatments to help ease the symptoms and onset.
Irregular Periods
Of the early symptoms of perimenopause, one of the most common symptoms many women experience in the beginning is irregular periods. Your cycle might show up early or late, last a little longer, or even a little shorter in length and this is a sign your body is slowly preparing for menopause. The estrogen levels in your body are rising and dropping unevenly and this causes the irregularity in your cycles.
Hot Flashes
Other common signs of perimenopause are hot flashes accompanied by disturbed sleep. The imbalance of estrogen in the body causes night sweats and random episodes of intense body heat that vary in intensity which leads to discomfort when sleeping.
If you purchase through an affiliated link here, It’sFetch may earn a commission.
STRIPES – The Cool Factor Cooling Mist Soothes & Hydrates Skin
Mood Swings and Irritability
Mood swings/changes and irritability occur hand in hand with hot flashes, typically due to the lack of or lower quality of sleep.
Vaginal Dryness
Many women will notice vaginal dryness early into the transition as well, but don’t worry there are ways to help!
Other Signs and Symptoms To Look For
Those are the more common signs of the beginning of perimenopause but everyone’s experience is different so here are other signs and symptoms of perimenopause to look out for:
- Feeling the need to pee very badly
- Brain fog
- Bone loss
- Change in sexual function
- Heavy sweating
- Heavy or light flow during menstruation
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
An important note to remember is all of this is completely natural and every woman goes through this transition at some point in their life, but if you feel that your symptoms are affecting your quality of life please reach out to your doctor for help.
Disclaimer: At It’sFetch.co we strive to provide valuable and reliable health information through our blog. We believe in empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. However, it is important to understand that the content on our blog is not intended to replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified medical professional.
Comments +