Perimenopause is an inevitable journey in every woman's life.
Some have a flashy and very expressive one, and some rarely realize they are passing through one.
Every individual reacts differently.
A perimenopausal stage is a transitional phase that is actually a stage before actual menopause occurs.
There are a number of symptoms expressed by the body indicating you are reaching your menopause.
Usually this phase occurs after 40 years of age and lasts for about 5 years approximately.
But in some women this stage can begin as early as 35 and even last for up to 10 or 15 years, but this is not as common.
The body goes through hormonal imbalance which s the prime reason for the symptoms occurring during this stage.
There is a swing in the estrogen and progesterone production and balance resulting in the perimenopause stage.
Some of the most common perimenopausal symptoms are - 1.
Hot flushes- this is a common complaint expressed by a majority of women.
There is a sudden flush of heat through out the body.
Sudden sensation of heat and perspiration, with redness in face.
2.
Irregularity in menstrual cycle- most women have an altered menstrual cycle during this stage.
A normal 28 day cycle is shortened to 24 to 26 days cycle in many.
Some women also have prolonged menstrual bleeding and some may experience skip in cycle too.
3.
Dryness of Vagina- the vagina becomes increasingly dry.
4.
Low libido - most perimenopausal women experience loss of libido.
There are cases with the opposite too.
5.
Increase in weight- with underlying hormonal imbalance weight gain and slow metabolism is one of the common complaints in this phase.
6.
Depression, anxiety, palpitations and mood swing.
7.
Disturbed sleep.
8.
Dryness of skin and hair loss 9.
Incontinence of urine (found in few women especially during coughing) These are some of the most common symptoms in most perimenoupausal women.
Realizing these, being prepared and managing them well, is one of the best ways to ease the stress experienced in this phase.
How to relieve the symptoms? One of the first steps is identifying your trouble.
As you experience irregularity, in your cycle, take note of it using a calendar or diary.
One of the most useful tips to combat and reduce the symptoms of the perimenoupausal stage is exercise.
A regular physical exercise reduces many of the symptoms too like disturbed and reduced sleep and weight gain.
Remaining socially active and getting involved in activities you enjoy, keeps you mind healthy and can successfully evade depression.
Tackling vaginal dryness can be done by using lubricants during sex which can help reduce the pain.
If you are a chronic smoker, it would be wonderful if you can quit smoking.
A healthy and nutritious diet with high protein and calcium and less carbohydrate can help maintain the BMI (Body Mass Index).
Perimenopause is a passing phase that can be well managed by being prepared and understanding the symptoms.
Taking effort to being active, eating nutritious, exercising are the best ways to conquer the ill effects of this phase.