Early and Perimenopause Symptoms - What You Need To Know
Author: John Russell
Research has concluded that eight out of ten women experience menopause symptoms and 45% of women will find it difficult to deal with what has become known as 'the change of life.' However a lot of us still remain somewhat unaware of what is actually involved in the process and what we will experience in the months/years it takes to reach menopause; these months and years have become known as the perimenopause stage.
There are a lot of symptoms associated with the menopausal change; what you need to keep in mind, however, is that the majority of these symptoms occur prior to you actually reaching menopause. Most of the symptoms, if you experience any, will take place during perimenopause.
The very first sign that you will experience to indicate that you have entered the perimenopause stage revolves around your periods. There are three ways that your periods may change; for one, they may gradually become further apart and they may not last as long as usual. Secondly, there is a chance that they may start to get heavier and have shorter gaps in between or, lastly, but least likely, there is a chance that they might just suddenly stop altogether.
For some women the only indication they are going through 'the change' is that their periods eventually stop. However, roughly half of women will go on to experience slight physical or mental changes, 25% of which will unfortunately experience inconvenient or distressing problems. So, just what are the most prevalent perimenopause symptoms?
Hot Flashes
These are one of the most common symptoms that women will experience. They can vary in degrees of severity but on average they will generally occur four or five times a day and they will usually last from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Night Sweats
These are basically hot flashes only they occur at night. Due to this, they have the potential of drenching your bedding.
Insomnia
Generally caused by low levels of estrogen, but can also by brought-on by constantly being interrupted by night sweats.
The symptoms that you may experience prior to menopause aren't, however, all physical; you may suffer a few emotional worries too, one of the most common being mood swings. Many women go from being irritable to suffering bouts of depression. However, just because all of these symptoms, both emotional and physical are possible, it doesn't mean that you are actually going to go on to develop all of them.
Perimenopause symptoms generally occur around the age of 46-55. If symptoms start to persist before this, in the 30's and 40's, it is known as an early menopause. Estimations suggest that premature menopause affects1% of women who are under the age of 40. There are several factors that can cause early menopause symptoms such as poor nutrition, heavy smoking, heavy drinking, or when chronic stress is placed on the body. In other cases, some women are simply born with fewer eggs. Also, if you have undergone radiotherapy or chemotherapy, then some of your eggs may have been destroyed.
With early menopause you are at risk of developing the symptoms associated with menopause, however, it will be over quicker than normal. It should be noted that you could be at an increased risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis, which is why it is advised to always seek help if you are going through menopause early.
A lot of women get through 'the change' without feeling the need to seek outside advice. If you do feel that you can't cope alone, please remember there is a lot of help available and all you need to do is ask.
I was on depo-provera for 8 years and I’m now experiencing some serious symptoms, should I see my doctor?
After the birth of my daughter, I went on depo-provera. I was 20, and weighed about 105lbs. At first I loved it. I never had a peroid and didn’t have to worry about taking a pill everyday. Eventually, though, I started gaining weight. By the time I was 25 I weighed in at 152! OUCH! I was moody all the time and my sex drive was virtually non-existant!! Planned Parenthood kept telling me this was not caused by the depo shot. I began getting depressed and nervous, even paranoid! After about 8 years, I went to see my family doctor who immediatly took me off depo! She told me it causes bone density loss among other things. I have since had a hystorectomy so I don’t have to worry about birth controll now. But I was never able to have children after the depo. Now I am 30 and all of the sudden I am experiencing lower back pain, hip pain and it feels like some of my toes are broken. I am really afraid I may have early osteoporosis! Am I being paranoid or should I seek medical attention???
I think you should see a doctor , however that doesnt mean the shot caused this.. yet in still if you think your suffering from early osteoporosis then you should definetly get that checked out..
My Dr is probably going to suggest that I go on HRT. Id like to hear of other womens’ experiences of this.
I have recently had blood tests done and they came back indicating that i have had an early menopause. No symptoms apart from no periods for a year but these had never really settled down after the birth of my third baby. My GP wants to see me to discuss treatment options in particular he is concerned to protect against osteoporosis. As I am not in an age group where any of my friends have been thro this as yet I would really like to get other peoples opinions on whether it is worth trying, what it is like and anything else you are happy to share. Personally, i am happy to be period free so if the benefits are not that great then Im not inclined to bother since I heard that you have periods whilst on treatment. I incline to natural therapies wherever possible and often find that medication has bad side effects. i suffer from migraine altho I was able to use the contraceptive pill in the past without problems. Any experiences of this to give me an overview would be great. Thanks.
Just wanted to say thanks to all, incl the gentleman, who replied. Am seeing my Dr next week and will discuss everything with him. I think i was still in shock because i wasnt expecting that particular result to my blood tests, having had no symptoms. It was helpful to hear of other peoples experiences and i will take time to decide what is best for me. thanks again.
I considered it for a time, then thought that all the scare stories, and others women friends advice and decided it wasn’t for me. I thought i have had enough of drugs, contraceptives etc and really didn’t want to go that route.
what do you think of this a thesis statement for my research paper?
Menopause is not a medical illness. And it does not signal the end of life. Menopause is simply the stage in a woman’s life when menstruation ends. It is a normal and natural biological process – the aging of your reproductive system – brought on by the gradual loss of estrogen and progesterone , the sex hormones that are secreted by the ovaries.
Women reach menopause at different times in their lives. Most commonly, it occurs on average at age 51, but ages at which menopause begins can vary widely. For some women, this change starts in their early 30s or 40s, while others will not reach menopause until their early 60s.
All women experience menopause differently. For some, menopause poses relatively few problems. Others may be affected by a number of physical and emotional changes, some of which can cause disruption in a woman’s life. These include:
Irregular menstruation
Vaginal and urinary tract changes
Decreased fertility
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Sleep disturbances
Emotional fragility
Changes in physical appearance
Increased risk for osteoporosis and coronary heart disease
While menopause itself does not require treatment, the host of symptoms and conditions that can accompany this significant change in your biochemistry can affect your physical and emotional health and lifestyle. Your physician can help you explore a range of options for treating your symptoms and improving your quality of life during this important transition. Among them are:
Hormone Therapy (HT)
Complementary and alternative medicine
Healthy diet and regular exercise
Medications
Yeah! Go to it!
One small revision:
“Most commonly, it occurs on average at age 51…” This is using two adverbs describing time: most commonly, on average. Revise to say:
Most commonly, it occurs around age 51…
I trust you will discuss the side effects of hormone therapy, and possible alternatives to it.
Write a good one!
Can you PLEASE help me solve these!? 10 extra points*?
I’m taking my health class online and I have no clue what these questions mean!
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE
HELPP MEE!!!
What is a typical reason that a two-year-old should see a health care provider?
to be assessed for cancer
to receive an immunization
to have a Pap smear
to have blood work for cholesterol done
An injection of which of the following can help to the body improve one’s own immunity and life-long resistance to specific types of infectious diseases?
hormones
vaccinations
chemotherapy drugs
antibiotics
Which health care professional would be responsible for providing an ultrasound to a pregnant woman to visualize the fetus and its development?
phlebotomist
registered nurse
dietitian
radiologic technician
Which birth defects occurs when the roof of the mouth does not fuse together?
Muscular Dystrophy
Spina Bifida
Down’s Syndrome
Cleft Palate
The loss of which hormone contributes to osteoporosis?
insulin
oxytocin
estrogen
thyroxine
Which of the following behaviors will not help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease?
using sunscreen
maintaining a healthy weight
exercising regularly
eating a low-fat diet
When the body doesn’t produce insulin, what is the effect?
cells absorb too much glucose and the blood sugar is low
cells don’t absorb enough glucose and the blood sugar is high
cells produce too much glucose and the body uses fat for energy
cells don’t produce enough glucose and the body stores fat
What can people do to reduce their risk of developing type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes?
reduce salt intake
wear sunscreen or protective clothing when outside
take insulin regularly
eat a healthy diet and maintain a proper body weight
What can people do to reduce their risk of developing skin cancer?
reduce salt intake
wear sunscreen or protective clothing when outside
take insulin regularly
eat a healthy diet and maintain a proper body weight
What is the most prominent and preventable risk factor contributing to lung cancer?
air pollution
no insulin produced
lack of exercise
smoking
What is the single, most effective means of breaking the chain of infection?
wearing gloves when in direct contact with people
using disposable tissues for the cold or flu
washing hands frequently throughout the day
cooking and storing foods at their proper temperature
A fifty-two-year-old woman feels a squeezing, crushing pain in her chest. The pain also extends to her left arm, neck, and shoulder. She is short of breath. What is she suffering from?
diabetes mellitus
a stroke
a heart attack
breast cancer
What is metastasis?
swelling because of fluid retention in the abdomen
cancer cells leaving a tumor and invading other parts of the body
breathing into an inhaler to open up the airways
using a balloon on a long tube to flatten plaque in an artery
Which of the following best increases the chance of surviving nearly any type of cancer?
chemotherapy
radiation
early detection
surgery
What infection is transmitted by mosquitoes and is relatively new to the United States and can cause flu-like symptoms that can result in encephalitis?
West Nile Virus
lung cancer
heart disease
Alzheimer’s disease
There have been documented cases of HIV being passed through all these ways except which of the following?
excessive sweating
breast-feeding
blood transfusions
sexual intercourse
Which of the following is a myth about HIV and AIDS?
There is no cure for HIV infection.
Only homosexual men get AIDS.
The virus that causes AIDS attacks the immune system.
Many HIV-infected people look and feel fine.
What is the most common way hepatitis A is transmitted?
fecal-oral route
sexual contact
contaminated needles
breast-feeding
How does HIV affect the body?
It infects red blood cells, decreasing the amount of oxygen the blood can carry.
It infects certain white blood cells, destroying the immune system and making the body susceptible to infection.
It infects the alveoli of the lungs, reducing lung capacity and the effectiveness of the respiratory system.
It infects blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, producing anemia and destroying the immune system.
1. to receive an immunization
2. vaccinations
3. radiologic technician
4. Cleft Palate
5. estrogen
6. using sunscreen
7. cells don’t absorb enough glucose and the blood sugar is high
8. eat a healthy diet and maintain a proper body weight
9. wear sunscreen or protective clothing when outside
10. washing hands frequently throughout the day
11. smoking
12. a heart attack
13. cancer cells leaving a tumor and invading other parts of the body
14. early detection
15. West Nile Virus
16. excessive sweating
17. Only homosexual men get AIDS.
18. fecal-oral route
19. It infects blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, producing anemia and destroying the immune system.