Symptoms of Perimenopause
By:
Juliet Cohen
Perimenopause, or pre-menopause is a transitional
stage of two to ten years before complete cessation of the
menstrual period. Its average duration is six years, and can
appear in women from 35 to 50 years of age. Perimenopause marks
the interval in which your body begins its transition into
menopause. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when
the ovaries stop releasing eggs. In the last one to two years of
perimenopause, this decline in estrogen accelerates. Perimenopause
lasts from six to 10 years for most women. This stage begins
gradually during regular cycles and ends when a year has passed
since the final menstrual period. Perimenopause encompasses the
years leading up to menopause anywhere from two to eight years
plus the first year after your final period. It's a natural part
of aging that signals the ending of your reproductive years. Many
women experience relief from hot flashes after taking low-dose
birth control pills for a short period of time. Approximately 25%
will begin to have night sweats. About 20-30% will have abnormally
heavy flow for one or more cycles.
Most premenopausal women experience changes in their menstrual
cycle. Most women experience some middle of the night sleep
disturbances, mood swings and less ability to predict flow. Some
women will experience nausea, new or recurrent and severe migraine
headaches, weight gain and palpitations. Sleep disturbances may
increase and rapid bone loss begins with the onset of irregular
cycles. The final year of perimenopause is from the final
menstrual period for one year. Additionally, this
declining/fluctuating estrogen level can produce a host of
disturbing symptoms: hot flashes, increasing dryness, sleep
problems, mood swings, breast tenderness and many other
complications. Additional symptoms of perimenopause or menopause
may include, breast pain, irregular periods, urinary tract
changes, problems as well as change in the complexion and hair.
Some women find that these hot flashes disrupt their sleep,
causing constant tiredness, and others respond with mood changes.
Main Symptoms of Perimenopause
1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy
feeling.
2. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier.
3. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing,' buzzing etc.
4. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease.
5. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom.
6. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion.
7. Trouble sleeping through the night.
8. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in
facial hair.
9. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance.
10. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain,
nausea.
11. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth,
change in breath odor.
12. Tingling in the extremities.
13. Itchy, crawly skin.
14. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons.
15. Gum problems, increased bleeding
Treatment for Perimenopause Tips
1. Exercise.
2. Stop smoking .
3. Get more sleep and try going to sleep and waking up at the same
time each day.
4. Decrease the amount of alcohol you drink.
5. Get to a healthy weight and stay there.
6. Take a multivitamin supplement and ingest enough calcium.
7. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day.
Article
Source: http://www.articlerich.com
Juliet Cohen writes articles on
diseases
and conditions and
women
health care. More information on health related topics visit
our site at
www.healthatoz.info.
