Are You Nearing The Age of Perimenopause?

Are you experiencing strange changes in your menstrual cycle, inexplicable mood swings, difficulty in sleeping sound at night, low-energy, or insomnia? These could be early warning signals that you're nearing the age of perimenopause! If you're in your 40s or 50s, your odds of having these symptoms as a result of perimenopause are high.¹ However, in some women, the age of perimenopause can be as young as the mid-30s.²

Let us explain what perimenopause is and why it causes these symptoms. 

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause literally means "around menopause." It is the stage of a woman's life when her body changes as she approaches menopause. On reaching menopause, a woman’s body completely stops making estrogen and progesterone, eventually leading to no more release of eggs (from ovaries). Which is why women after menopause, cannot get pregnant.³ Since there’s a restricted and fluctuating production of the female hormone estrogen, during perimenopause women may experience menopause-like symptoms.⁴   

But why does your body behave this way when there is an estrogen deficiency? The answer is pretty simple, estrogen is also essential to the general health of women. Along with the reproductive system, estrogen has a direct impact on the health of the following organs: the brain, mammary glands (breasts), bone, hair (on the scalp or body), the heart and blood vessels, mucous membranes, muscles, pelvic muscles, and urinary tract.⁵

In addition to estrogen, the ovary produces AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone), which starts to decline as a woman approaches age of perimenopause and completely disappears by the start of menopause.⁶ 

As age progresses and women near their age of perimenopause and the final menstruation period (FMP), they should keep in mind that it's a "normal process." Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that not every woman will have difficulty during her perimenopause phase, and vice versa.

Symptoms Of Perimenopause 

Some common symptoms of perimenopause  includes:

• Changes in the length & frequency of the menstrual cycle: Due to lack of female hormones, the ovulation becomes less frequent which may result in changes in the time between your period dates and the flow. Some women may also skip their respective periods. However, if the length of your menstrual cycle consistently changes by 7 days or even more, it may be an indication of early perimenopause. While a gap of 60 days or more between periods could indicate that you are in the later stages of perimenopause. ⁴
• Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB): It is a common symptom of perimenopause; wherein the bleeding occurs in excessive amounts, duration and frequency. AUB has a detrimental impact on women’s life and psychological well-being.⁷
• Unexplained weight gain: Changes in hormones, chronological aging, and a decrease in physical activity combined with a fast-food culture promote an unhealthy lifestyle. Moreover, recurring emotional eating episodes associated with psychological distress also lead to an increase in total body fat and waist circumference.⁸
• Mood swings: Mood swings, restlessness, and an increased risk of depression are all common during perimenopause. These symptoms could be caused by sleep interruptions caused by hot flashes.⁴
• Sleeping problems & insomnia: The low estradiol (female hormone) levels give rise to sleeping problems such as difficulty in staying asleep and causing sleep disturbances.⁹ Whereas in some cases, women may also experience insomnia (sleeplessness).²
• Hot flashes & night sweat: You're likely experiencing a hot flash if you experience a sudden surge of warmth in your upper body, face, and neck. “Night sweats” refers to hot flashes that occur at night.^10,4

So far we’ve discussed the symptoms of perimenopause. Let’s take a look at the simple ways you can practice to proactively manage your symptoms. 

Managing Perimenopause Symptoms

It’s highly advised that you must seek a specialist if you’re experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms. However, one can follow listed steps to manage some of the perimenopause symptoms :

• Ensure to have a healthy, balanced, and rich antioxidant diet.^11,4
• Reduce or inhibit the intake of alcohol, caffeine, and added sugars.⁴
• Drinking small amounts of cold water before you sleep and avoiding spicy food may help with night sweats.¹²
• Doing regular work out helps. A study suggests that exercising and an active lifestyle helps in lowering LDL (low- density lipoproteins) and high blood pressure.¹³

Final Takeaway!

When a woman reaches the age of perimenopause a lot of health conditions (other than menopause) can knock on the door. However, many times, the symptoms of perimenopause can frequently overlap with those of an underlying thyroid problem but “how to figure it out?,” “Is it the onset of menopause (perimenopause) or hypothyroidism?” Well, you can find out by taking a simple at-home self-collection test. LifeCell's easy-to-do test screens for 3 important female hormones, which aids in detecting the specific problem you may be experiencing.  

It's normal to feel like the menopause clock in your body is ticking as you get older. However, you stay prepared and educate yourself on the changes your body might experience in the coming time, for which you can take LifeCell's at-home self-collection Perimenopause test kit’s help.

So hurry up & take your test today!