Women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs. As she moves through her childbearing years those eggs are released monthly until the supply is completely depleted. At that point the woman can no longer bear children, her menstrual cycle will stop, and she will then be considered menopausal. This happens for most women around the age of 51, however it can occur much earlier or even later.
When we think about menopause we are thinking of that period of time after your periods stop. But the perimenopause period can be anywhere from 7-10 years leading up to your period stopping. That period of time is full of hormone fluctuations, basically like a reverse puberty. You can notice similar symptoms like irregular period, acne, and mood changes again like you did when you were a teenager. These symptoms can occur up to 10 years prior to your period stopping. Most women will go through menopause between 45-55 years old, therefore, it’s not impossible to start noticing perimenopause symptoms in your 30s! Things like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, brain fog or memory issues, joint pain, dry skin, palpitations, low libido, and weight gain, especially a new accumulation of abdominal fat.
In addition, these bothersome symptoms, that can really impact your quality of life, the decrease in estrogen that happens with menopause can also accelerate the speed at which your body has been aging. Lots of women will notice an increase in their LDL cholesterol, their blood pressure and weight gain without any changes to diet or exercise. There is accelerated bone and muscle loss that increases your risk of fractures and resulting loss of mobility. There are studies now showing links to the lack of estrogen found in menopause to brain, metabolic, and cardiovascular health as well.
There may be a window of opportunity for risk reduction that you do not want to miss. Every woman should have a conversation about her perimenopause transition with a knowledgeable menopause provider sooner rather than later. Schedule an appointment with our office today.
