Are you having irregular periods or experiencing more problems monthly? Is your hormone going out of whack and making you feel as if you are constantly on a rollercoaster ride? If yes, you might be experiencing some of the usual signs of perimenopause.
Perimenopause occurs during the time when the body takes two to six years to stop producing the normal levels of reproductive hormones such as estrogen. This is generally the time when a woman will experience the typical menopause symptoms. For most women, perimenopause will start in the forties upwards, but it could begin earlier in the mid-thirties. This is a natural phase that a woman goes through, but it’s not always easy to cope with. Most women suffer a lot during these years, whilst others will experience absolutely no symptoms.
Usual Signs of Perimenopause
Irregularities in the menstrual cycle: You might miss periods completely, notice changes in the breaks between periods or have light or heavy flow. Your ovulation might also get more erratic and heavy periods could cause you to become anemic.
Fatigue or sleep problems: Hot flashes are often linked to the fatigue or sleep disturbances that one experiences during perimenopause.
Night sweats and hot flashes: Most women experience these symptoms during perimenopause, but at varying frequency, intensity, and duration.
Sore breasts: Your breasts can become painful just before and during your periods or they might be sore most of the time. You could also become susceptible to fibrocystic breasts.
Mood changes: This is definitely one of the usual signs of perimenopause as it stems from fluctuating hormones which causes depression, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and inability to cope with stress.
Bladder problems: When your estrogen levels decrease, you will be more vulnerable to tissue tone loss or urinary tract infections which might also lead to incontinence.
Vaginal problems: Your vaginal tissues might lose elasticity and lubrication when estrogen decreases, making intercourse uncomfortable or painful.
Decreased libido: Your sexual arousal and desire might decline gradually.
Declining fertility: You are less likely to conceive if your ovulation is irregular.
Skin and body changes: A decline in estrogen levels might cause bone and muscle mass to decrease, increase in body fat and reduced collagen which makes the skin less elastic and thinner.
Change in cholesterol levels: Lower estrogen might increase LDL or bad cholesterol levels to increase your risk of having heart disease.
Migraines: You could experience chronic, one-sided headaches which are accompanied by sharp pain in one eye, blurred vision, vomiting and nausea.
These are the usual signs of perimenopause. If you are currently experiencing any of the symptoms above, you should take action to address what could be a sign of hormone imbalances. You can consult your doctor to get the best treatments that can help to restore balance in the body throughout this transitional period.
