Perimenopause Symptoms - Learn to Tell the Signs and Stop Them in Their Tracks

What do you describe as perimenopause? It immediately precedes the full menopause and it is characterized by the perimenopause symptoms such as; vaginal dryness, hot flashes, disruptive sleep patterns, moodiness (depression, and irritability), painful intercourse, urinary infections increase, urinary incontinence, nighttime sweats (during sleep), increased body fat around the waist, memory problems and problems with concentration, and loss of sex drive.

Women differ widely in the symptoms they experience during this phase; while some women experience very little discomfort. Others have more grave symptoms.

What perimenopause changes are experienced? At the start, changes to the menstrual cycle will be seen. These may consist of changes in the volume, duration, of bleeding. How long this phase lasts will vary with different women. Full menopause will occur in women from the age of forty-five through fifty-five years old. The perimenopause symptoms may begin as early as thirty-five and can then last from a few weeks to a few years.

A woman has no way of knowing when exactly it will start and for how long it may last. There is no way to prevention this event from happening, but it is believed that staying physically fit and stopping smoking, will delay the onset. Symptoms such as vaginal dry and painful intercourse can be relieved with the use of personal lubricants.

You should strive to identify and avoid causes of perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes. This may be brought on by alcohol and caffeine. Symptoms like anxiety, mood swings and depression should be discussed with your doctor, and if necessary he will prescribe helpful medication.

Your family history will give you clues as to how the phase may affect you. You may want to talk to your mother about her experiences. Before treating perimenopause symptoms or before starting any medication or even therapy to try to handle the symptoms, you should be certain to have a complete physical examination. After you physical examination, if your doctor determines that perimenopause is causing your symptoms, he will suggest the steps to take to either reduce or totally eliminate the problems.

Your doctor will suggest you make a few lifetime changes such as, adding flax and soy to your diet, regular exercise, with some weight training about 3 times a week, and taking vitamin E.

In the past, estrogen and estrogen-progestogen treatments had been used to treat the symptoms, but those treatments have been recently linked to cancer, so they are no longer widely used.

Oral contraception in a low dose is often prescribed to treat the symptoms. This will help with hot flashes and will regulate the periods. With this treatment also, the need for hormonal replacement therapy could be delayed.

You should start to make some changes if you experience perimenopause symptoms and you think that you are about to enter perimenopause. Above all else take care of yourself. Reduce the stress you feel, eat well, and get enough sleep. Enjoy your friendships, and gain strength and support from those relationships.