Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when hormone levels begin to decline and menstrual periods end. It is a natural process that signals the ending of our reproductive years and fertility. Officially, menopause occurs after a woman goes 12 consecutive months without a period.
Although most women enter menopause during their late forties and fifties, the symptoms of menopause, such as night sweats, hot flashes, or vaginal dryness, may occur before menopause. This is known as perimenopause and is the 3-8 year timespan that precedes menopause itself.
Taken together, both perimenopause and menopause can last for a few years, and for some women, the experience can be a very emotional and destabilizing one. For this reason, it is important to know what the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause are, how the process unfolds, and some steps that you can take to help lessen the impact that menopausal symptoms have on the quality of your life.
Perimenopause Symptoms
When it comes to the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, there is a wide amount of variation in the type of symptoms that each woman will experience and the severity. Much is dependent upon personal factors such as medical history, genetics, and our body biochemistry, but the general symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include:
- Hot flashes
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in libido
- Irritability and/or mood changes
- Pain during sex (due to vaginal dryness)
- Vaginal and urinary problems
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Weight gain and slowed metabolism
- Night sweats
For each woman, the presence or absence of these symptoms may vary. Furthermore, the intensity of these symptoms may also change over time. The important thing to note is how symptoms impact your quality of life and day-to-day activities.
Managing Perimenopause
Managing the symptoms of perimenopause is less of a science and more of an art. As noted below, symptoms can likely be managed using one or more interventions. Control of symptoms usually requires several options in conjunction with one another. For example, using targeted options that help specific symptoms while engaging in general lifestyle changes. Management options include:
Targeted Therapies
- Vaginal creams and lubricants – Used specifically for vaginal dryness.
- Non hormonal medications such as SSRI’s, Gabapentin or herbal supplements.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – HRT works by artificially replacing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. By mimicking their actions, HRT helps to mask their decline, helping your body react less dramatically to the natural loss of estrogen. HRT is available in pills, patches, creams, or injections.
- Bio-identical hormones – Bioidentical hormones are plant-based estrogens/progestins that are synthetic. Like traditional HRT, bioidentical hormones come in various forms, including pills, patches, and creams.
General Management
Maintaining perimenopause is greatly helped by adopting healthy lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, regular exercise, and good quality sleep. Additionally, following menopause (post-menopause), women are more vulnerable to certain medical conditions like heart disease and osteoporosis. So practicing healthy lifestyle choices will not only benefit your current menopausal symptoms, it will help reduce the risk of some of these illnesses.
- Lifestyle changes – diet, exercise, or stopping smoking and alcohol are some options that are always encouraged. Even small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference in limiting symptoms, including weight loss strategies.
- Exercise – Keep active by engaging in low-impact exercises such as walking, aerobics, and yoga.
Other Management Options
Although not used as a first-line treatment option, some women have found success in using non-traditional therapies such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, or yoga. These techniques promote relaxation, good sleep, and stress management.
- Consulting with a sleep specialist to help improve sleeping practices.
- Natural supplements – There is limited evidence that supplements such as soy and Vitamin E help with symptoms. However, speak to your doctor first before starting any new supplements.
- Practicing mindfulness and meditation
- Acupuncture / Yoga / Pilates
Managing the symptoms of menopause usually involves a combined approach where some of the options listed above are used alongside one another.
When to See Your Doctor or OBGYN
If the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause begin to interfere with your quality of life or interrupt your day-to-day activities, then make an appointment to see your doctor. They may be able to prescribe specific treatments that help reduce symptoms or recommend therapies that work by alleviating pain and discomfort. Your doctor can also provide guidance or counseling on other aspects of your health that may be affected by menopause.
Outlook
As with any major life change, going through menopause can leave some women feeling a a little unbalanced and unsure about what to expect. Unfortunately, many women going through perimenopause minimize their symptoms and do not seek medical advice. They might think that their symptoms are not a major issue or that nothing can be done. However, reaching out to your doctor is important, especially when the symptoms affect your normal routines. Your doctor can provide several safe, effective, and helpful solutions that can lessen the impact of your menopausal symptoms, whatever stage you are in.