Index
What is it?
Perimenopause, which is also called transition menopause, begins several years before menopause as such.
It is the time when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less estrogen. It usually begins when the woman reaches 40 years, but can start from 30 years or even earlier.
Because it happens?
This condition in women lasts until the moment menopause arrives, because it is when the ovaries stop releasing ovules. In the last 1 to 2 years of perimenopause, a remarkable and accelerated decrease in estrogen occurs. Already at this stage, many women have symptoms of menopause.
How long does perimenopause last?
The duration on average is 4 years, but in some women this can last only a few months or remain for 10 years. Perimenopause ends when a woman has spent 12 months without having her period, and this is where menopause takes place.
How can we diagnose perimenopause?
Often, the doctor can make the diagnosis of perimenopause based on the symptoms of the patient. It is also very useful to perform a blood test to check hormone levels, but hormone levels are constantly changing during this period.
Something very useful and also put into practice is to perform several blood tests at different times to compare them.
Detecting perimenopause: knows its symptoms.
Women who go through this phase have some of these symptoms:
- Irregular menstrual periods.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of urine when sneezing or coughing
- Hot flushes.
- Sensitivity and pain in the breasts.
- Constant changes of humor.
- Premenstrual syndrome.
- Low sexual desire
- Dry vaginal and therefore, discomfort during sex.
- Urgency to urinate.
- Sleeping problems.
Some options to reduce the symptoms?
Many women feel great relief from hot flashes after taking low-dose hormonal contraceptive pills for short periods of time.
Other options that can relieve and control hot flashes are patches, vaginal rings, and progesterone injections. A large number of women should not use contraceptive hormones, so it is essential to talk with the doctor before taking any options without the supervision of a doctor.
Other options that are also ideal to reduce the symptoms of perimenopause are:
- Practice some exercise
- Give up the cigarette
- Sleep a little longer and meet a daily sleep schedule.
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- To reach the ideal and healthy weight, staying there.
- Consume more calcium in the daily diet.
- Consult the doctor to see if it is possible to consume multivitamin supplements.
It is always necessary to talk with the doctor if there are problems of a sexual nature, such as low sexual desire or pain when having sex. The doctor can suggest and recommend therapy to work on the problem, and in case of vaginal dryness, the use of vaginal lubricants is a very good option.
In turn, there are many natural treatments to treat perimenopause, prescribing antidepressants can help with psychological symptoms, such as mood swings.
Going to the doctor is the first and best option to treat this condition, perimenopause must be treated by a specialist doctor and the treatment must be carried out in order to reduce its symptoms.
